Town of Barnstable, MA local landlord rules
State law also applies. See Massachusetts landlord-tenant law and the Massachusetts landlord FAQ. State rules: Security deposit limit · Deposit return deadline · Notice to enter · Late fees · Eviction notice (nonpayment) · Rent increase notice.
Quick facts
| Topic | At a glance |
|---|---|
| Local agent / contact person | Landlords covered by this code must designate a local agent or contact person, or meet residency rules for agents. The code states: "In the event that the owner does not reside within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the owner shall designate a resident agent to represent him within the commonwealth and shall provide the Board of Health with written notification of the name, address and telephone number of the resident agent so designated" (§ 170-7). |
Details & sources
Local agent / contact person
Landlords covered by this code must designate a local agent or contact person, or meet residency rules for agents. The code states: "In the event that the owner does not reside within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the owner shall designate a resident agent to represent him within the commonwealth and shall provide the Board of Health with written notification of the name, address and telephone number of the resident agent so designated" (§ 170-7).
Verified Source: Town of Barnstable Code § 170-7 · last checked 2026-10-16
Back to quick facts ↑Research coverage
0 of 13 topics checked at the local level (state law is covered on the state page). A topic counts as checked only when every subtopic in it is checked or no additional requirement was found after a recorded full read. How coverage works.
| Topic | Status | Subtopics done |
|---|---|---|
| Deposits | Not researched | 0 of 2 |
| Deposit return deadlines | Not researched | None tracked at this level |
| Rent increases and rent control | Not researched | 0 of 1 |
| Late fees | Not researched | None tracked at this level |
| Landlord entry | Not researched | None tracked at this level |
| Repairs and habitability | Not researched | 0 of 1 |
| Screening and application fees | Not researched | None tracked at this level |
| Fair housing and assistance animals | Not researched | 0 of 1 |
| Disclosures | Partially researched | 1 of 2 |
| Renewal and termination | Not researched | None tracked at this level |
| Eviction | Not researched | 0 of 3 |
| Registration and licensing | Not researched | 0 of 3 |
| Short-term rentals | Not researched | 0 of 2 |
Also applies statewide
Massachusetts rules that also apply in Town of Barnstable:
- Security deposit limit
- A security deposit of no more than the first month's rent. A landlord may also collect first and last month's rent and the cost of a new lock and key. Verified Source: M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B(1) · last checked 2026-10-15 · Full Massachusetts security deposit limit page
- Deposit return deadline
- Within 30 days after the tenancy ends: return the deposit or balance. Any deduction for damage needs a sworn, itemized list plus estimates, bills, or receipts within the same 30 days, or the right to keep any of it is lost. Verified Source: Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 15B(4) · last checked 2026-10-22 · Full Massachusetts deposit return deadline page
- Notice to enter
- A residential lease may let the landlord enter only to inspect, make repairs or show the unit; the landlord may also enter under a court order, if the unit appears abandoned, or in the last 30 days of the tenancy to inspect for damage. Statute text: "No lease relating to residential real property shall contain a provision that a lessor may, except to inspect the premises, to make repairs thereto or to show the same to a prospective tenant, purchaser, mortgagee or its agents, enter the premises before the termination date of such lease" (Mass. G.L. c. 186, § 15B(1)(a)). Verified Source: Mass. G.L. c. 186, § 15B(1)(a) · last checked 2026-10-16 · Full Massachusetts notice to enter page
- Late fees
- No interest or penalty for late rent until 30 days after the rent was due. Verified Source: M.G.L. c. 186 § 15B(1)(c) · last checked 2026-10-15 · Full Massachusetts late fees page
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