Massachusetts Tenants
A professional demand letter citing Massachusetts's security deposit law (M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B), the 30-day return deadline, and the mandatory treble-damages penalty that attaches to the most common violations. Ready in minutes.
Deadline
30 days
to return your deposit after move-out
Penalty
3× damages
mandatory for § 15B(7) violations, plus fees
Statute
c. 186 § 15B
Massachusetts General Laws
Under M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B, your landlord has 30 days after your tenancy ends to return your security deposit. If any portion is kept for damages, the landlord must provide a sworn, itemized statement within that 30-day window.
Massachusetts provides triple damages, but only for the specific violations listed in § 15B(6)(a), (d), and (e): failing to hold the deposit in a proper interest-bearing escrow account, failing to return the deposit within 30 days, or failing to transfer it properly when the property is sold. (Skipping the sworn itemized statement forfeits the landlord’s right to withhold anything — the whole deposit comes back — though that failure alone does not treble.) When a treble trigger applies, you may recover:
So a $1,500 deposit caught by a § 15B(7) violation can support a court judgment of $4,500 plus interest and fees. Most landlords settle quickly once they realize you know the law.
Deposit cap: Massachusetts caps deposits at one month’s rent, with no separate pet or cleaning deposits allowed. A landlord must give a Statement of Condition within 10 days and hold the deposit in a separate interest-bearing Massachusetts account.
Every letter follows the structure courts expect — your facts, the statute, a specific demand, and a deadline. Here's the skeleton; the generator fills the brackets from your answers and computes Massachusetts's deadlines under c. 186 § 15B.
[Date]
[Your name]
[Your forwarding address]
[Landlord's name and address]
RE: Security Deposit — Formal Demand for Return of $[Amount]
I am the former tenant of [rental property address]. You accepted a security deposit of $[Amount], and my tenancy ended on [move-out date]. My forwarding address for return of the deposit is stated above, which I am providing to you in writing.
Under c. 186 § 15B, you were required to [return the deposit or provide an itemized statement] within [the statutory period]. That period has passed, and you have done neither. [The specific consequence Massachusetts law attaches, cited by section.]
I demand return of $[Amount] no later than [deadline]. If I do not receive it, I am prepared to pursue all remedies available under [statute], including filing suit in the appropriate court.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Some cities layer their own security deposit rules on top of state law — and some don't. Here's where Massachusetts's major cities stand.
CambridgeState law applies
No separate Cambridge deposit ordinance — Massachusetts's strict MGL c.186 § 15B framework applies in full (30-day return, treble damages plus fees).
BostonState law applies
No separate Boston deposit ordinance — Massachusetts's strict MGL c.186 § 15B framework applies in full (30-day return, treble damages plus fees).
30 days after you move out.
Certain (common) violations trigger MANDATORY treble (3×) damages plus interest, court costs, and attorney fees under § 15B(7) — no bad-faith proof needed. The treble triggers are the violations in § 15B(6)(a), (d), and (e): failing to hold the deposit in a separate interest-bearing Massachusetts account, failing to return the deposit within 30 days, and failing to transfer the deposit properly when the property is sold. A missing sworn itemized list forfeits the right to withhold — the full deposit comes back — but is not itself a treble trigger.
M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B. We verify these against the statute text itself; the date we last checked is shown on this page.
Cambridge, Boston have no separate deposit ordinance — Massachusetts state law applies.
Sources & verification
The Massachusetts rules on this page were verified against the statute text itself:
Last verified against primary sources on .
How we verify this →Laws change. If you spot something out of date, tell us at support@gettenantshield.com and we'll correct it.
Properly formatted, addressed to your landlord by name, citing the exact Massachusetts statutes that apply to your situation.
M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B and any others triggered by your circumstances — not generic legalese.
The letter computes the exact dollar amount you're entitled to demand based on your deposit and the deductions at issue.
Download instantly, print, sign, and send via USPS Certified Mail with Return Receipt.
Most Massachusetts landlords return the deposit within days of receiving a properly drafted demand letter.
Generate my letter — $39