Sources checked:
Quick answer. Massachusetts: deposit capped at 1 month of rent; deposit returned within 30 days; 30-day notice to end month-to-month; 14-day notice for unpaid rent; $7,000 small claims limit. 18 of 23 items are confirmed on official pages; 5 are marked not confirmed, with the page to check.
Key numbers
- Deposit limit
- 1 month's rent
- Deposit back within
- 30 days
- Month-to-month notice (landlord)
- 30 days
- Unpaid rent notice
- 14 days
- Entry notice
- See the rule
- Judgment to writ
- 10 days
- Writ to lockout
- 2 court days
- Small claims limit
- $7,000
Security deposit (6 of 6 confirmed)
Law read: M.G.L. c. 186, s. 15B.
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ConfirmedDeposit limit
A security deposit equal to no more than the first month's rent (s. 15B(1)(b)).
Source: Massachusetts Legislature: General Laws c. 186, s. 15B, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedReturn deadline
Within 30 days after the end of occupancy: the deposit with interest, less any deductions, with a sworn itemized list of damages (s. 15B(4)).
Source: Massachusetts Legislature: General Laws c. 186, s. 15B, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedItemized list of deductions
An itemized list of damages sworn under the pains and penalties of perjury, with written evidence of the repair cost (s. 15B(4)(iii)).
Source: Massachusetts Legislature: General Laws c. 186, s. 15B, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedInterest on the deposit
5% a year, or the lower rate the bank actually paid, paid at the end of each year of the tenancy (s. 15B(3)(b)).
Source: Massachusetts Legislature: General Laws c. 186, s. 15B, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedWhere the deposit is held
In a separate, interest-bearing account in a bank in Massachusetts; a receipt within 30 days naming the bank, its address, the account number and the amount (s. 15B(3)(a)).
Source: Massachusetts Legislature: General Laws c. 186, s. 15B, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedPenalty the law states
Three times the deposit, plus interest, costs and attorney fees, for the failures listed in s. 15B(7).
Source: Massachusetts Legislature: General Laws c. 186, s. 15B, checked November 2026
More: Security deposit rules by state · Deposit return deadline calculator
Notice periods (6 of 6 confirmed)
What the official text says about each notice. Cities and counties can add their own notice, just-cause or rent rules. Check local rules too.
| Notice | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ending month-to-month (landlord) | Written notice by either side. With rent due monthly, the longer of 30 days or the interval between rent days, ending before the due date of a rent payment. | Source: Massachusetts Legislature: M.G.L. c. 186, s. 12, checked November 2026 (M.G.L. c. 186, s. 12) |
| Ending month-to-month (tenant) | Written notice by either side. With rent due monthly, the longer of 30 days or the interval between rent days, ending before the due date of a rent payment. | Source: Massachusetts Legislature: M.G.L. c. 186, s. 12, checked November 2026 (M.G.L. c. 186, s. 12) |
| Rent increase notice | For a tenancy at will, rent can change with notice on the same terms as ending the tenancy. | Source: Massachusetts Attorney General: Guide to landlord and tenant rights, checked November 2026 |
| Unpaid rent notice | 14 days' written notice to quit. A tenant may pay all rent due, with interest and costs, on or before the day the answer is due. | Source: Massachusetts Legislature: M.G.L. c. 186, s. 11, checked November 2026 (M.G.L. c. 186, s. 11) |
| Entry notice | The landlord arranges entry with the tenant in advance (to repair, inspect or show); no set number of hours. Emergencies and apparent abandonment are exceptions. | Source: Massachusetts Attorney General: Guide to landlord and tenant rights, checked November 2026 |
| Late fee limits | A lease can't require a late fee for rent less than 30 days late. | Source: Massachusetts Attorney General: Guide to landlord and tenant rights, checked November 2026 |
More: Notice periods by state · Notice date calculator
Eviction case, in order (5 of 10 confirmed)
- Notice before filing The written notice comes first; its length is in the notice table above.
Unpaid rent: 14 days' written notice to quit. A tenant may pay all rent due, with interest and costs, on or before the day the answer is due.
- Filing the case Where the case goes and what it costs to start.
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ConfirmedCourt
A District Court or Housing Court; a tenant can ask to move a case to Housing Court.
a District Court or Housing Court
Source: Mass.gov: Tenants' guide to eviction, checked November 2026
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Not confirmedFiling fee
Not confirmed — check Mass.gov: Tenants' guide to eviction. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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- The tenant's answer or appearance
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Not confirmedTime to answer or appear
Not confirmed — check Mass.gov: Tenants' guide to eviction. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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- Hearing or trial
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Not confirmedHearing after filing
Not confirmed — check Mass.gov: Tenants' guide to eviction. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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- Judgment and the writ The order that lets the officer act.
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ConfirmedJudgment to writ
After judgment the tenant has 10 days to appeal; then the judge gives the execution to the landlord.
You will have 10 days to appeal the decision
Source: Mass.gov: Tenants' guide to eviction, checked November 2026
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- Lockout Carried out by an officer, not by either side.
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ConfirmedWrit to lockout
The sheriff or constable gives written notice 2 days (not counting weekends or holidays) before removal; moves happen weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
2 days (not including weekends or holidays)
Source: Mass.gov: Tenants' guide to eviction, checked November 2026
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ConfirmedWho carries out the lockout
The landlord hires a sheriff or constable to serve the execution and carry out the move.
Hire a sheriff or constable to deliver it to the tenant
Source: Mass.gov: Tenants' guide to eviction, checked November 2026
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- Along the way Paying to stop the case, counsel and diversion programs.
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Not confirmedPaying to stop the case
Not confirmed — check Mass.gov: Tenants' guide to eviction. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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Not confirmedRight to counsel (statewide)
Not confirmed — check Mass.gov: Tenants' guide to eviction. Not confirmed on an official page we opened.
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ConfirmedDiversion or mediation (statewide)
Statewide RAFT rental assistance (a pending application blocks eviction) and free pre-court community mediation.
you can't be evicted if you have a pending RAFT application
Source: Mass.gov: Tenants' guide to eviction, checked November 2026
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Uniform Summary Process Rule 2 puts cases on the second Thursday after the Monday entry date, but parts of it have been suspended by standing orders since 2021, so no hearing range is used here.
Help the official pages name: The Legal Resource Finder, which connects to legal aid programs and Massachusetts Community Mediation Centers, free pre-court mediation.
More: Massachusetts eviction process · Eviction timeline estimator
Deposit disputes: small claims
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ConfirmedSmall claims limit (for a deposit dispute)
$7,000: the most a small claims case can ask for.
Not more than $7,000 unless the claim is for property damage from a car accident. Some consumer protection and landlord-tenant claims may carry statutory damages above $7,000.
Filing fee to start a case: $40 to $150.
Source: Mass.gov: File a small claim in the Boston Municipal Court, District Court, or Housing Court, checked November 2026
More: Massachusetts small claims court
Still to confirm
- Filing fee: check Mass.gov: Tenants' guide to eviction
- Time to answer or appear: check Mass.gov: Tenants' guide to eviction
- Hearing after filing: check Mass.gov: Tenants' guide to eviction
- Paying to stop the case: check Mass.gov: Tenants' guide to eviction
- Right to counsel (statewide): check Mass.gov: Tenants' guide to eviction
Massachusetts kit
Massachusetts Landlord Compliance Kit
This page as a printable checklist with every source link and check date, a move-in and move-out deposit checklist with the Massachusetts return deadline, a notice calendar, an eviction timeline sheet, and an Excel workbook with a tenant notice log, a deposit tracker that works out the return date, and a rent ledger.
Kits for any state: Security Deposit Kit for Landlords and Tenants ($15) · Landlord-Tenant Notice Organizer ($15) · Eviction Case File Organizer ($15)
General information, not legal advice. We are not lawyers, and MCC Solutions is not a law firm. The same rules apply whichever side of the lease you are on; this page describes them and doesn't take a side. Rules change, cities and counties can add their own, a lease can add terms, and the official source has the final word.
Common questions
How much can a security deposit be in Massachusetts?
A security deposit equal to no more than the first month's rent (s. 15B(1)(b)).
How long does a Massachusetts landlord have to return a deposit?
Within 30 days after the end of occupancy: the deposit with interest, less any deductions, with a sworn itemized list of damages (s. 15B(4)). What goes with it: An itemized list of damages sworn under the pains and penalties of perjury, with written evidence of the repair cost (s. 15B(4)(iii)).
How much notice ends a month-to-month tenancy in Massachusetts?
From the landlord: Written notice by either side. With rent due monthly, the longer of 30 days or the interval between rent days, ending before the due date of a rent payment. From the tenant: Written notice by either side. With rent due monthly, the longer of 30 days or the interval between rent days, ending before the due date of a rent payment.
What notice comes before an unpaid-rent case in Massachusetts?
14 days' written notice to quit. A tenant may pay all rent due, with interest and costs, on or before the day the answer is due.
How much notice before a landlord enters a rental in Massachusetts?
The landlord arranges entry with the tenant in advance (to repair, inspect or show); no set number of hours. Emergencies and apparent abandonment are exceptions.
How long does an eviction case take in Massachusetts?
Judgment to writ: 10 days. Writ to lockout: 2 court days. These are the stated rules; the court's calendar often takes longer.
Can a Massachusetts deposit dispute go to small claims court?
The small claims limit in our data: $7,000: the most a small claims case can ask for. The court's own page explains what kinds of cases it hears.
Related: Landlord rules by state · Kits for landlords