Massachusetts Rent Increase Notice Letter

State Cap: No statute. Massachusetts has no statewide cap on rent increases, and the Massachusetts Rent Control Prohibition Act preempts local municipalities from enacting rent control (Ch. 40P, § 4).

Notice Period: Landlords must provide at least 30 days‘ notice, or the length of the interval between rent payment dates, whichever is longer (Ch. 186, § 12). The notice must also fix the effective date of the rate adjustment on a regular rent payment day (Ch. 186, § 12).

Proof of Service: The notice must be delivered in writing, and the landlord is responsible for establishing actual receipt by the tenant (Ch. 186, § 12).

Prohibited Acts: Landlords cannot increase rent as retaliation against tenants for reporting housing code violations, joining a tenants’ union, or exercising statutory rights (Ch. 186, § 18), or for discriminatory reasons under state fair housing laws (Ch. 151B, § 4).