Williamstown, 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 |
|---|---|
| Rental licensing / registration | Yes. No dwelling or rooming unit may be occupied without a valid certificate of compliance, apart from listed exceptions (§ 154-5). |
Details & sources
Rental licensing / registration
Yes. No dwelling or rooming unit may be occupied without a valid certificate of compliance, apart from listed exceptions (§ 154-5).
Verified Source: Williamstown Code ch. 154, § 154-5 · 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 | Not researched | 0 of 2 |
| Renewal and termination | Not researched | None tracked at this level |
| Eviction | Not researched | 0 of 3 |
| Registration and licensing | Partially researched | 1 of 3 |
| Short-term rentals | Not researched | 0 of 2 |
Also applies statewide
Massachusetts rules that also apply in Williamstown:
- 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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