Massachusetts Attorney General's Office

The Massachusetts Office of the Attorney General is an advocate and resource for the Commonwealth and its residents in many areas, including protecting consumers, combating fraud and corruption, protecting civil rights, and promoting meaningful economic recovery. The guide below outlines rental agreement considerations, as well as rules regarding types of tenancies, payments, evictions, habitable living conditions, and housing discrimination. For more information, visit the office's landlord and tenant rights page.

The Attorney General's Guide to Landlord and Tenant Rights

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Housing Discrimination

In Massachusetts, it is unlawful for a housing provider to discriminate against a current or prospective tenant based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, disability, source of income, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran/military status, presence of lead paint, or genetic information.

If you have been treated unfairly by a property owner or manager because of one of these characteristics, call (617) 963-2917 or file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office.

Lead Paint and Discrimination

Property owners are obligated to abate lead paint hazards in any rental unit occupied by a child under age six. The obligation to remove lead hazards extends to all properties, including owner-occupied properties. Importantly, property owners cannot avoid this obligation by rejecting families with children. It is against Massachusetts law for a landlord or a real estate agent to refuse to rent to someone because he/she has (or is expecting) a child or because the property contains lead. It is also against the law for a real estate agent or a landlord to refuse to show properties to families with children because the properties may contain lead paint. Similarly, it is illegal to: (1) steer people away from older properties or towards de-leaded properties because they have children; or (2)advertise or otherwise make discriminatory statements that indicate that a landlord prefers tenants without children. Finally, if a landlord takes an adverse action against a tenant, including evicting the tenant or raising the rent, because he/she complains about lead paint or requests an inspection, that retaliatory action is an independent violation of the law.

Report housing related discrimination to (617) 963-2917 or file a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office.