Massachusetts Tenancy Termination Notice (M.G.L. c. 186 § 12)

Under M.G.L. c. 186 § 12, a tenancy at will may be terminated by written notice. If "the rent reserved is payable at periods of less than three months, the time of such notice shall be sufficient if it is equal to the interval between the days of payment or thirty days, whichever is longer." For a typical month-to-month tenancy, that means at least 30 days' (or one full rental period's) written notice, given by either landlord or tenant. The statute also allows the notice to include an offer of a new tenancy on different terms without invalidating it. A fixed-term lease ordinarily ends on its own expiration date; if the tenant stays on with the landlord's consent, a tenancy at will is created and § 12 notice rules then apply.

No specific statutory penalty; a termination notice that does not meet the § 12 interval (one rental period or 30 days, whichever is longer) is defective and will not support a no-fault eviction.