A Greater Boston lease agreement is the written contract that sets the rent, the term and the rules for one apartment. The FormsPal residential lease agreement is a standard four-page, fixed-term form that you can fill out online or download as a PDF. Massachusetts law decides how the security deposit is held and how a tenancy at will ends.[2][1.1]
Last Updated: October 2026. This guide is reviewed and updated regularly to reflect current Massachusetts law. If you notice an error or outdated information, please contact us.
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The FormsPal template is a standard form apartment lease for a fixed term. Its heading reads Greater Boston Real Estate Board. Page 1 holds the parties, the premises, the term, the rent and a real estate tax clause. Pages 2 to 4 carry numbered articles with no blanks, and page 4 ends with the signature lines and a guaranty.
The blanks you complete cover these items:
A fixed-term lease fixes its own end date on the term lines. The Massachusetts deposit and notice rules below still apply to the rental. Before the lease is signed, many landlords screen applicants with a Massachusetts rental application.
Section 15B of Massachusetts General Laws chapter 186 sets the rules for a residential security deposit. It limits the amount, says where the money is held and sets deadlines for the receipt, the condition statement and the return. Check it before you add any deposit terms under Additional Provisions.[2]
a security deposit equal to the first month's rent provided that such security deposit is deposited as required by subsection (3) and that the tenant is given the statement of condition as required by subsection (2)[2]
| Step | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Bank receipt to the tenant | Within thirty days after the lessor receives the deposit. It shows the name and location of the bank, the amount and the account number.[2] |
| Statement of the present condition of the premises | Upon receipt of the deposit, or within ten days after the lease starts, whichever is later.[2] |
| Return of the deposit | Within thirty days after the end of the lease as specified in a valid written agreement. For a tenancy at will, the count starts when occupancy ends.[2] |
| Notice from a successor in interest | Within forty-five days from the date of the transfer, the successor notifies the tenant that the deposit was transferred and that the successor is holding it.[2] |
| Records of deposit deductions | Kept for two years from the date the lease or occupancy ended.[2] |
The section does not apply to a lease, rental, occupancy or tenancy of one hundred days or less that is for a vacation or recreational purpose.[2]
A fixed-term lease like this one names its own end date. Section 12 of chapter 186 sets the notice that ends a tenancy at will. Either party can end it with written notice.
Under Section 3 of chapter 183, a tenancy created without a written instrument signed by the landlord or the landlord's attorney has the force and effect of an estate at will only.[3.1]
For unpaid rent, § 12 sets a shorter path. Fourteen days' notice to quit, given in writing by the landlord, is sufficient to end the rental. A tenant who has not received a similar notice within the twelve months before can keep the lease. The tenant pays or tenders the full amount of any rent due within ten days after receiving the notice.[1.1]
The form is a four-page PDF with 41 fillable fields. Build it online with FormsPal, or download the PDF and complete it with the online PDF editor. The steps below follow the form from the top of page 1 to the signature lines on page 4.
The screenshots under each step show the FormsPal Massachusetts Greater Boston residential lease agreement template filled with sample entries in blue, so you can see where each answer goes. The names, addresses, dates and amounts are examples only.
The table lists the document name, the other name printed on the form and the Massachusetts statutes it touches. It also gives the average time to fill it out and the file format you get.
| Document Name | Greater Boston Residential Lease Agreement Form |
| Other Name | Greater Boston Real Estate Board lease |
| Relevant Laws | Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 186, Sections 12 and 15B |
| Avg. Time to Fill Out | 10 minutes |
| # of Fillable Fields | 41 |
| Available Formats | Adobe PDF |
Signing is the last step on the form. A few things come before and after it, such as reading the articles and filing the paperwork, and they are common practice for any signed lease.
Short answers on the deposit limit, the return deadline and the notice that ends a tenancy at will. Each answer cites the Massachusetts statute it comes from, so you can check the wording yourself.
State law caps the security deposit at an amount equal to the first month's rent, provided it is deposited as required and the tenant is given the statement of condition. A landlord who also receives rent in advance for the last month pays interest on that money.[2]
It is Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186, § 15B. It limits the deposit, requires a separate, interest-bearing account in a bank located within the commonwealth and sets deadlines for the receipt, the condition statement and the return.[2]
The deposit, or any balance of it, must be returned within thirty days after the lease ends. That means the end of occupancy under a tenancy at will, or the end of the term as specified in a valid written lease agreement.[2]
The notice period depends on how often the rent is paid.
A landlord may end the rental with fourteen days' notice to quit for unpaid rent. A tenant who has not received a similar notice in the twelve months before can keep it. The tenant pays the full amount of any rent due within ten days after receiving the notice.[1.1]
General information, not legal or tax advice.
Unless noted otherwise, the sources below are from the Massachusetts General Laws, published by the Massachusetts Legislature. Each marker in the text links to its entry in this list.
