Can I sue for a landlord keeping my deposit in Massachusetts?

Which law covers security deposits in Massachusetts?

governing statute

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 15B

source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.

How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in Massachusetts?

deadline

30 days

source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.

Across the country. 23 of the 47 states written up answer this the same way as Massachusetts. The shortest is 14 days, as in Alaska; the longest is 60 days, as in Alabama. Compare every state →

What is the penalty if a landlord keeps your deposit in Massachusetts?

penalty

Three times the deposit, plus 5% interest, court costs and reasonable attorney's fees, where the landlord failed to hold the deposit in a proper escrow account, failed to transfer it to a successor, or failed to return it within 30 days of the tenancy ending (§ 15B(7), reaching clauses (a), (d) and (e) of § 15B(6)). Failing to furnish the itemized list of damages within 30 days, or using an unlawful lease term, forfeits the right to retain anything and the right to counterclaim for damage to the unit — but does not carry the trebling.

source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.

How much can you sue for in Massachusetts small claims court?

small claims limit

$7,000

source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.

exceptions: The limit does not apply at all to a claim for property damage caused by a motor vehicle.

source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.

What else should you know in Massachusetts?

also

Massachusetts is one of the few states where the landlord's paperwork failures at the start of the tenancy — no receipt, no separate escrow account, no statement of condition — can be worth more than the deposit dispute itself.

source ↗Not yet checked against the statute.