The Top 5 Things You Need to Know as a Massachusetts Landlord in 2025

By Kimberly Rau, MassLandlords, Inc.

Being a landlord can be a complicated business, especially in Massachusetts, where landlord–tenant laws are some of the toughest in the country. At MassLandlords our goal is to create better rental housing. We try to take the guesswork out of the game by helping all rental housing providers run sustainable, compliant, quality operations.

Being a rental housing provider can be tricky, but we’re here to help take some of the mystery out of being a landlord. (Image: CC BY-SA 4.0 Jennifer Rau for MassLandlords, Inc.)

When you hear “sustainable,” you might think about environmental conservation. That’s one definition of the word. But at its core, sustainability means “able to be maintained at a certain rate or level.” We want you to be able to stay in the rental property business for as long as you want to be a landlord. But that’s a difficult proposition unless your business practices are compliant with the law and provide quality living experiences for those who choose to rent with you. That’s where we come in.

In 2017, we published a “Top 5” article that covered some landlording basics, including advice on eviction and rental repairs. We recommend you read that article as well, especially if you are just starting out in the rental real estate business. But first, read on to learn about the top 5 things you can do this year to become the best landlord you can be.

Don’t ask “do you have any pets?” Instead, ask “how many animals do you have?” Thorough tenant screening is your best defense against professional tenants. (Image: CC BY-SA 4.0 MassLandlords, Inc.)

1. A Vacant Unit is Better Than a Bad Tenant

Considering landlords rely on rent as a source of income, this first tip may seem counterintuitive. Vacancies mean no money coming in. And while this is true, it’s also true that vacancies don’t last very long, especially in areas of Massachusetts where the rental market is very tight.

What can last (seemingly) forever is the eviction process in Massachusetts. Eviction data we’ve collected shows that in 2022, the average summary process took 94 days. One in ten cases will take more than 197 days. There isn’t comprehensive data from 2023 yet because some of those eviction cases are still going on nearly two years later.

That’s a long, expensive time to be in court, no matter why you’re evicting your tenant. If it’s for nonpayment of rent, you might never be made whole. In theory, you can collect on monetary judgments in your favor, but it’s not easy.  If you end up with “professional tenants” like Massachusetts’ own Russell and Linda Callahan, who spent 25 years unlawfully living in various rentals while not paying rent, you could be in for a real uphill battle.

So how do you avoid a bad renter? Unless you’re clairvoyant, there’s no way to guarantee every person you rent to will be a model tenant. But your best chance in weeding out the obvious bad apples lies in proper tenant screening.

You can ask the obvious questions: How many of you smoke? How many animals do you have? (Be careful with emotional support and service animals; they do not count as pets.) How many people will be living here? Etc. But are the answers you receive honest? Fortunately, there’s a better way to screen tenants than just going off gut feelings.

We offer a members-only applicant qualifier that gives landlords an objective, points-based set of screening criteria that complies with fair housing laws and gives tenants a chance to explain potential issues and correct things that may disqualify them from renting with you. Make sure your applicants list every adult over age 18 who will be on the lease, and run background checks on everyone. You can’t deny someone a rental based on a past arrest, but criminal convictions are another story, though they too must be handled carefully.

Once you are ready to move forward with a tenant or set of tenants, use our agreement checklist to make sure you have all the documentation you need. Next, ensure your lease is compliant with all applicable laws (using one of our rental agreements is a good start) and add the addendums you need in order to make everyone feel comfortable. We have optional clauses for rent adjustments, pets, noise and more.

In summary: Screen your potential renters thoroughly. Look for red flags, and don’t be afraid to ask questions if something seems amiss (making sure your queries don’t run afoul of anti-discrimination laws). When you choose a tenant, make sure your lease is comprehensive and lists every adult living there. It’s better to lose a month of rent finding the right tenant than to rush into a decision that could put you in the middle of a nightmare.

2. Eviction Sealing Makes the Application Process Tougher.

Eviction sealing became law on May 5, 2025. While we suggest you read our full article on eviction sealing in Massachusetts, essentially, renters can petition to have no-cause-stated evictions immediately sealed from the public record. Evictions for nonpayment can be sealed after four years, as long as they state the reason for that eviction was economic hardship and have not had another eviction for nonpayment filed against them in that time. For-cause evictions may be sealed after seven years.

Without court data on evictions, landlords will be faced with either taking a chance on someone who claims they have no eviction history, or making their criteria to rent so strict that the only people who move in appear unlikely (at least on paper) to be evicted.

Remember our friends the Callahans, referenced above? If they move out of state for a few years, they could come back, have their Massachusetts evictions sealed, and dupe a brand new landlord into thinking they’re model tenants. That’s bad news.

That means landlords have to get strict with tenant screening. Ask for paystubs, and beware of fake documents. When in doubt, run the numbers on the paystubs and see if the taxes match the pay. If you’re still not sure, you can ask for bank statements, and don’t rely on screen shots, which can be doctored.

Require and check references. Don’t call the current landlord, who may be inclined to lie in order to offload a nightmare tenant. Call the landlord before that. If the applicant can’t provide that information, that’s a potential red flag. Find out why. A younger or student renter may not have prior rental experience. That’s what cosigners are for.  Cosigners must go through the same application and background check process.

Finally, an applicant may be able to have an eviction sealed, but they aren’t allowed to lie. They are allowed to say they have “no record” of an eviction, not that they’ve never been evicted. The latest version of our rental application addresses this technicality and allows you to get a clearer picture of someone’s rental history.

3. Plan for Mass Save in Designated Equity Communities

Do you have rental properties in one or more of Mass Save’s 21 designated equity communities? You probably have not participated in Mass Save because these towns are historically underserved, meaning you and your renters have paid in far more than Mass Save has redistributed back to you. This year we’re fixing this. These communities are Boston, Brockton, Chelsea, Everett, Fall River, Framingham, Fitchburg, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, New, Bedford, Oak Bluffs, Pittsfield, Quincy, Revere, Salem, Springfield, Tisbury, Woburn and Worcester. Property owners in these communities whose buildings are at least half-rented are eligible for fully funded, energy efficient upgrades.

Through Mass Save’s three-year plan, eligible landlords in these communities can get free weatherization, such as sealing windows or adding insulation, that will help reduce energy spend and utility bills. Landlords can also use the Mass Save program to convert from oil and gas heat to electric heat pumps. An added bonus: electric heat pumps can also provide air conditioning, reducing reliance on boxy window units. This increases tenant satisfaction, reducing turnover, and when it’s time to find a new renter, your unit will be more marketable.

If you have old knob-and-tube wiring or asbestos in your home, you may have been previously ineligible for Mass Save incentives. Now, Mass Save will address these barriers to allow you to access energy efficient upgrades and keep your rentals running smoothly whatever the weather.

4. Think ADUs.

As of 2025, accessory dwelling units (ADUs) are allowed by right across the state of Massachusetts. Communities cannot require a special permit for these buildings or place undue hardship on property owners looking to build an additional living space on their land.

There are size and setback restrictions, and building an ADU (also called granny flats or in-law apartments) may be costly depending on size and structure. But this is a great way to help address the housing crisis, especially in communities that seem loath to allow multifamily zoning by right. ADUs allow families to live together while maintaining separate residences. They also provide rental opportunities for those who may not be able to purchase an entirely separate property, and create additional housing units for people looking to rent something small.

If you are able to comfortably construct an ADU on your property, you have the opportunity for additional rental income, without some of the strain that comes from maintaining an entirely separate piece of land (the driveway is already being shoveled, the grass is already being cut, etc.). The more units at a given address, the more robust your business will be to in-unit setbacks like nonpayment.

Regular ask-us-anything office hours allow you to get your questions answered about all aspects of landlording. (Image: CC BY-SA 4.0 MassLandlords, Inc.)

5. Take Advantage of MassLandlords Office Hours.

MassLandlords has a lot of great resources beyond rental forms. Besides training videos and a plethora of articles available 24/7, we also have members-only office hours over Zoom, allowing landlords from across the state to gather and learn more about rental housing.

These open-ended question-and-answer sessions are your chance to ask us anything about being a landlord in Massachusetts. They’re moderated by staff and volunteers who have significant rental housing experience, including MassLandlords executive director Doug Quattrochi, attorney Jordana Greenman, attorney Adam Sherwin and helpline counselor Peter Shapiro.

Sometimes, the session may include a brief presentation (for example, attorney Sherwin’s June 25 session focused on recent cases and case law). Others are completely open-ended. Please note that when attorneys are present, they can only answer questions about the law. They cannot help you with specific cases, and all questions should be posed as hypotheticals. If you do need specific business advice, you can always utilize our helpline, where operators can give business advice and suggest attorneys to consult with if you need legal advice.

Quattrochi holds his office hours the first Friday of the month. Attorney Greenman holds office hours the third Wednesday of the month, and attorney Sherwin is on the fourth Wednesday of the month. Advance sign-up is required in order to keep sessions small and manageable. Occasionally, a holiday may interfere with the schedule (for instance, Quattrochi’s typical session for July fell on Independence Day, so office hours were moved to Thursday, July 3). This will be reflected on our events page. Peter Shapiro does not presently have office hours listed for the summer, but his sessions will be posted as they are scheduled.

Conclusion

Being a landlord can be overwhelming, especially in Massachusetts. But don’t worry. With hundreds of resources right at your fingertips, we’re here to help you be the best housing provider you can be.

Read our landlording articles, watch our training videos, use our landlord and rental forms, and make sure you join your community-specific real estate message board to connect with fellow housing providers. And if you’re new to rental housing and want to make sure you’re starting off on the right foot, sign up for our Crash Course in Landlording and Rental Real Estate.

Whatever you need, we’re here to help.