Rental Property Rules in Boston, MA (2026)
11 verified rental property rules for Boston, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Rent Control
Massachusetts banned municipal rent control statewide through a 1994 ballot initiative (Question 9). Boston, which previously had rent control since 1970, cannot regulate rents or impose rent stabilization measures. There are no caps on rent increases for market-rate units in Boston.
Boston Rent Control Status
Few RestrictionsJust Cause Eviction
Massachusetts does not have a statewide just cause eviction law, and Boston does not have a local just cause ordinance. Landlords may decline to renew tenancies with proper notice. However, evictions require court proceedings, and tenants have procedural protections under MGL c.239 (summary process). Retaliatory and discriminatory evictions are prohibited.
Boston Just Cause Eviction Protections
Some RestrictionsRental Registration
Boston requires all rental properties to be registered with the Inspectional Services Department. Owners must obtain a Certificate of Occupancy and comply with the state sanitary code (105 CMR 410). Multi-unit residential buildings require regular ISD inspections. Boston's rental registration helps track housing conditions and enforce code compliance.
Boston Rental Property Registration Requirements
Heavy RestrictionsRelocation Assistance
Boston has no general relocation-assistance ordinance for displaced tenants. Limited statutory rights apply for code-condemned units (MGL Ch. 79A) and federally funded relocations (Uniform Relocation Act). The 2024 Home Rule petition seeking broader tenant protections remains pending.
MA limited relocation-assistance framework
Few RestrictionsSecurity Deposit Rules
MGL Ch. 186 §15B caps Boston security deposits at one month's rent, requires interest-bearing escrow in a Massachusetts bank, mandates written receipts, and triggers triple damages if a landlord commingles funds or fails to return deposit within 30 days of tenancy end.
MA strict security-deposit limits
Heavy RestrictionsNo-Fault Evictions
Massachusetts allows no-fault termination of tenancies-at-will with 30 days or full rental period notice under MGL Ch. 186 §12. Boston has no local just-cause eviction ordinance, though a Home Rule petition for tenant protections remains pending state approval.
MA at-will tenancy and no-fault notice
Some RestrictionsTenant Anti-Harassment
MGL Ch. 184 §18 and Ch. 186 §14 prohibit landlords from using lockouts, utility shutoffs, threats, or harassment to force tenants out. Violations carry treble damages, attorney fees, and possible criminal liability under Boston housing court enforcement.
Self-help eviction and tenant-harassment penalties
Heavy RestrictionsSource-of-Income Discrimination
Massachusetts MGL Ch. 151B §4 prohibits Boston landlords from refusing tenants based on use of housing subsidies including Section 8, MRVP, or veterans' benefits. Source-of-income discrimination is a civil rights violation enforced by the MA Commission Against Discrimination.
Section 8 voucher protected source of income
Heavy RestrictionsSection 8 Voucher Acceptance
The Boston Housing Authority (BHA) administers the federal Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program and the state Massachusetts Rental Voucher Program (MRVP). Landlords must pass HUD Housing Quality Standards inspection and execute a HAP contract before BHA will subsidize rent.
Boston Housing Authority voucher administration
Some RestrictionsEviction Moratorium History
Massachusetts enacted the nation's strictest pandemic eviction moratorium under Ch. 65 of the Acts of 2020, expiring October 2020. A subsequent state law preserved continuance protections through 2024. Boston tenants today rely on the standard summary process and Right to Counsel pilot.
MA pandemic-era eviction moratorium history
Some RestrictionsCouncil District Preference
Boston's Inclusionary Development Policy and BHA waitlists apply local-preference points for current Boston residents and city employees. HUD requires preferences to be applied without disparate-impact discrimination, periodically reviewed under fair-housing reporting.
Boston resident preference for affordable housing
Some RestrictionsLooking for Suffolk County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Boston city rules.
Rental Property Rules in Suffolk County →