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Free Massachusetts Background &
Credit Check Authorization Template

Last reviewed September 2026

Written by LawLease Editorial

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Massachusetts Background & Credit Check Authorization

This Background & Credit Check Authorization is built with Massachusetts as the governing state. These are the Massachusetts landlord-tenant rules that most often bear on it, with the statute for each.

Massachusetts rules at a glance

Massachusetts rules for a Background & Credit Check Authorization
Security deposit limit1 month’s rent; only first month, last month, deposit and lock/key cost may be collected up frontM.G.L. c. 186 §15B(1)(b)
Deposit return30 days after the tenancy ends, with interest; deductions need a sworn itemized listM.G.L. c. 186 §15B(4)
Deposit paperworkThe deposit receipt, the 30-day bank-account notice and the 10-day statement of condition (§15B).

Security deposits in Massachusetts

Massachusetts runs one of the strictest deposit regimes in the country. At or before move-in a landlord may collect only four things: the first month’s rent, the last month’s rent, a security deposit of no more than one month’s rent, and the cost of buying and installing a new lock and key (§15B(1)(b)). Pet deposits, cleaning fees, amenity fees and application fees are not on the list, so they can’t be charged.

  • Receipt & bank notice — The landlord must give a signed receipt when the deposit is paid, hold it in a separate interest-bearing account at a bank located in Massachusetts (out of reach of the landlord’s creditors), and within 30 days tell the tenant the bank’s name and address, the amount and the account number (§15B(2)(b), (3)(a)).
  • Statement of condition — When the deposit is paid or within 10 days after the tenancy starts, whichever is later, the landlord must give a signed statement of the unit’s condition listing all existing damage. The tenant has 15 days to return it with any additions. Damage listed on that statement, or on the tenant’s signed list, can’t later be deducted from the deposit (§15B(2)(c), (4)(iii)).
  • Interest — A deposit held a year or longer earns 5% a year, or the lower rate the bank actually pays, owed annually and at move-out. Interest is also due on prepaid last month’s rent (§15B(2)(a), (3)(b)).
  • Return — Within 30 days after the tenancy ends, the landlord returns the deposit with interest, less only unpaid rent or water charges, a lease-authorized tax escalation, and reasonable repair costs beyond normal wear and tear. Every repair deduction needs an itemized list sworn under the pains and penalties of perjury, with estimates, bills or receipts (§15B(4)).
  • Triple damages — A landlord who doesn’t hold the deposit in a proper account, doesn’t furnish the sworn itemized list within 30 days, or doesn’t return the balance owed on time forfeits the right to keep any of the deposit (§15B(6)). Using the wrong account or missing the 30-day return exposes the landlord to three times the deposit plus 5% interest, court costs and attorney’s fees (§15B(7)).

Required disclosures in Massachusetts

Under the Attorney General’s regulations, a written lease must also state clearly the names, addresses and phone numbers of the owner and of anyone responsible for maintenance and repairs, and who is authorized to receive notices and service of process for the owner. Including any term that violates the law is itself an unfair practice (940 CMR 3.17(3)).

  • Lead paint — Federal lead warning and disclosure for pre-1978 housing (42 U.S.C. §4852d), plus the Massachusetts Tenant Lead Law Notification and Certification form. Under the state Lead Law, an owner must abate or contain lead hazards in any unit where a child under six lives (M.G.L. c. 111 §§197, 197A).
  • Deposit paperwork — The deposit receipt, the 30-day bank-account notice and the 10-day statement of condition (§15B).
  • Copy of the lease — The landlord must give the tenant a copy of the signed lease within 30 days; any clause waiving this is void (§15D).
  • Nonpayment form — The state form that must accompany any nonpayment notice to quit (§31).

Massachusetts Background & Credit Check Authorization FAQs

How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in Massachusetts?

No more than one month’s rent. At move-in the landlord may collect only first month’s rent, last month’s rent, the deposit, and the cost of a new lock and key — no pet deposits, cleaning fees or other charges (c. 186 §15B(1)(b)).

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

30 days after the tenancy ends, with interest. Any deduction for damage needs an itemized list sworn under the pains and penalties of perjury, with supporting bills or estimates. A landlord who breaks the rules can owe three times the deposit plus interest and attorney’s fees (§15B(4), (7)).

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