Updated almost 5 years ago on . Most recent reply
Massachusetts a “Tenant Friendly” State
Why is Massachusetts considered a “Tenant Friendly” state? What makes it so, and in comparison to surrounding states?
Most Popular Reply
@Toni Mo and @Nick Brigham have some good answers here @Claire J Gallagher. Also consider what their grace period is for rental payments, the laws on security deposits and how much you can collect, and lead laws.
As an example, I will compare Massachusetts to one of it's neighboring states - Connecticut.
In MA:
30 Day grace period for rent. (So rent isn't legally late until next month, basically).
Security deposits is capped at 1 month's rent, although you can request last month's rent at lease signing.
Lead laws are very, very strict. For example, when we got our 8 unit portfolio in Springfield, we had to make sure all units were lead certified, or we would be responsible for getting them certified at our own expense.
In CT:
10 day grace period on rents.
Security deposits can be 2 month's max for anyone under 62, and 1 mo max for anyone over 62.
Lead laws are not nearly as bad as MA. There is no lead certification that is required at closing.
If people are battling back and forth between western MA or northern CT, I tell them my preference is definitely CT, mostly for the above reasons.