Tenvale

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Massachusetts Security Deposit Limit Calculator

Massachusetts caps a security deposit at one month’s rent. Under M.G.L. c.186 §15B(1)(b), the standard charges a landlord may require at the start of a tenancy are: the first full month’s rent; the last full month’s rent (at the same rate); a security deposit no greater than the first month’s rent; and the actual cost of a key and lock. (The statute also allows a regulated “fee in lieu of a security deposit,” capped so the deposit and fee together stay within one month’s rent.) Enter your rent below to see the lawful ceiling.

Your rental

Actual purchase and installation cost only — §15B(1)(b)(iv).

Result

Max lawful security deposit
$2,000.00

Capped at one month's rent — §15B(1)(b)(iii)

Max total lawful upfront charges
$6,000.00

Sum of the charges you're collecting

Breakdown

First month's rent
$2,000.00
Last month's rent
$2,000.00
Security deposit
$2,000.00
Key & lock cost
$0.00

What you can charge. These are the standard lawful upfront charges under §15B(1)(b). Application fees, amenity/community fees, and upfront pet fees are not among them. Massachusetts does separately authorize an optional, regulated fee in lieu of a security deposit— but the combined total of any such fee and the deposit still may not exceed one month’s rent.

How this is calculated

Statutory basis. MGL c.186 §15B(1)(b) provides that at or prior to the commencement of a tenancy, a lessor may require no amount in excess of: (i) the first full month’s rent; (ii) the last full month’s rent at the same rate; (iii) a security deposit equal to (not exceeding) the first month’s rent; and (iv) the purchase and installation cost for a key and lock.

Formula. maxDeposit = monthlyRent × 1. The total upfront figure sums the first month’s rent, the last month’s rent (if collected), the deposit (if collected, at the one-month ceiling), and the actual key & lock cost.

Fee in lieu of deposit.The statute authorizes a separate, optional, regulated fee in lieu of a security deposit. Where such a fee is used, §15B(1)(b) caps the combined total of the fee plus any deposit at one month’s rent — so the deposit ceiling above does not change.

Tenvale keeps your move-in charges compliant

Set rent once and Tenvale tracks the deposit ceiling, escrow account, and the 10-day condition statement — so the §15B clocks don’t slip.

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