Boston, Massachusetts
Boston, Massachusetts landlord software
Manage your Boston rentals with confidence.
RentMouse keeps leases, rent, maintenance, documents and tenant communication for your Boston rentals in one workspace, with lease guidance linked to Massachusetts jurisdiction records. Review the applicable sources before relying on a draft.
Start free · Massachusetts rules and sources
Renting in Boston
Neighbourhoods landlords here manage: Back Bay, South End, Allston, Beacon Hill, Jamaica Plain, Somerville.
Register by 1 July, and plan for the inspection
Boston's rental inspection ordinance, in effect since 2013, requires rental property to be registered every year by 1 July, with a penalty that can reach $300 a month while registration is outstanding. Properties are selected for inspection once every five years against the state sanitary code. A city inspector charges per unit, or an owner with a clean record of meeting state and city codes can apply for the Five-Year Alternative Inspection Compliance Plan instead. Deciding which route you want is worth doing before the notice arrives.
Local sources
Checked 2026-09-08. Confirm the current requirements for your address with the responsible authority.
- How to register a rental property — City of Boston
- When you need a rental inspection
- How to apply for the Five-Year Inspection Plan
Massachusetts rules that apply in Boston
- Security deposit limit
- 1 month's rent
- Deposit return / claim rule
- 30 days
- Deposit interest
- 5%/yr or actual bank rate, paid yearly if held 1+ year
- Notice before entry
- No set notice period; entry limited to listed purposes
- Ending a month-to-month
- 30 days or one full rental period, whichever is longer
- Notice before a rent increase
- Same notice as ending the tenancy (30 days minimum)
- Late fees
- No late fee until rent is 30 days overdue
- Rent control
- Banned statewide by M.G.L. ch. 40P (1994)
General information from M.G.L. ch. 186 (esp. 15B) and ch. 239, last reviewed 2026-08-21; not legal advice. Municipal bylaws can add requirements. Sources are listed on the Massachusetts guide.
What RentMouse does for Boston landlords
- Properties & units — Each building and suite in one portfolio view, with occupancy, unit details and photos.
- Tenants & leases — Tenant records and lease terms attached to the right unit, with renewals surfaced before they arrive.
- Rent tracking — Monthly invoices, recorded payments, balances, overdue flags and reminders. Tenants keep paying you the way they already do.
- Maintenance — Requests with photos, priorities, vendors, dates and costs linked to the unit.
- Documents & e-signing — Jurisdiction-aware lease drafts from guided templates, sent for electronic signature and filed with the tenancy.
- Tenant portal — Optional, free for tenants: their tenancy details, invoices, shared documents and maintenance requests.
- Landlord website — A branded page at rentmouse.com/your-business that advertises vacant units, collects rental inquiries and doubles as the tenant sign-in.
Other Massachusetts cities
Cambridge · Lowell · Quincy · Springfield · Worcester