Massachusetts Rent receipts, payment methods & cash

Rent receipts, payment methods & cash in Massachusetts

If a lessor or the lessor's agent receives, at or before the start of a tenancy, rent in advance for the last month of the tenancy, the lessor or agent must at that time give the tenant or prospective tenant a receipt that states the amount, the date it was received, that it is to be applied as rent for the last month of the tenancy, the name of the person who received it, and if an agent received it the name of the lessor, a description of the premises, a statement that the tenant is entitled to interest at five per cent per year or any lesser amount of interest actually received from the bank where the deposit has been held, and a statement that the tenant should give the lessor a forwarding address at the end of the tenancy for sending that interest. Interest at that rate starts on the first day of the tenancy and must be paid to the tenant each year. If the tenancy ends before the anniversary date, all accrued interest is due within 30 days after termination. Interest does not accrue for the last month for which rent was paid in advance. At the end of each year of the tenancy the lessor must give or send a statement of the amount payable and must give or send the interest due or tell the tenant that the tenant may deduct it from the next rent payment. If 30 days after the end of the year the tenant has not received the interest or that notice, the tenant may deduct the interest from the next rent payment. If the lessor does not pay interest then due within 30 days after the tenancy ends, the tenant may recover three times that interest, together with court costs and reasonable attorney's fees. A full-text search of M.G.L. c. 186 (current official sections fetched 2026-11-12; repealed §§ 1 and 2 were not fetched) found no statewide rule requiring or banning payment of ordinary periodic rent in cash, by check, or by electronic funds transfer. Section 15B(2)(b) through (d) are security deposit receipt, condition-statement, and record rules and are not summarized here. Example: if a landlord takes last month's rent in advance when the lease is signed, the landlord must give that receipt at the time of the advance payment and must pay the yearly interest described above.

Verified Source: M.G.L. c. 186 § 15B(2)(a) · last checked 2026-11-12