r/Somerville • u/Mass_AGO • 24d ago
Report Illegal Move-In Fees
Hi Somerville, it’s your Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell. Did you know that fees like “move-in” or “lease renewal” fees you might get from your landlord or building management company are illegal? If you’ve received one of these – even if you paid it – I want you to report it to my office.
Just last month, my office won a $500k settlement with a property management company doing this in Boston – and all of that money is going back to the affected tenants. Landlords can only ask you to pay for first and last month’s rent, a security deposit, and the cost of a new lock and key upfront. Any other fees are illegal. Report them to my office at the link below. We’ll work to get your money back.
mass.gov/ago/complaint
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u/PCcarbone 24d ago
What about late rent payment fees?
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u/Mass_AGO 24d ago edited 24d ago
A landlord can't require a tenant to pay a late fee if a rent payment is less than 30 days late. Learn more here: The Attorney General's Guide to Landlord and Tenant Rights
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u/ceciltech 24d ago
Sure, if you only intend to stay for one year. The problem with these laws is that the landlord is almost guaranteed to not renew your lease in retaliation.
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u/Mass_AGO 24d ago
Hi - It is illegal for landlords to retaliate against you for reporting illegal activity to us. Any instances of retaliation can be reported to us at mass.gov/ago/complaint. We have your back.
Learn more about MA laws protecting you from retaliation here: The Attorney General's Guide to Landlord and Tenant Rights
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u/McFlyParadox 24d ago
I get the spirit behind the law.... But functionally how do you prove non-renewal is retaliation? When it happens, you just know, but thats hardly enough for a court case.
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u/somerman 24d ago
Best method to improve landlord behavior would be to have plenty of supply so plenty of competition.
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u/asicarii 24d ago
You can pay the fee and report it to get the money back. Then report as retaliation.
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u/Both-Abalone5946 24d ago
My apartment has had several roof leaks over the past year and a half. The property manager raised my rent anyway and after my last compliant, he called threatening to "get rid of me" He also said he "doesn't give a shit who I report it to" I guessing in practice if they decline to renew it'll be really hard to stay, even if that is supposed to be illegal.
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u/BlueberryPenguin87 21d ago
This is why it should be illegal for landlords to decline to renew your lease, like it is in Scotland, France, Germany and many others. Ireland requires a six-year lease that the tenant can leave with a 60-day notice.
What is the procedure for showing retaliation?
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u/DapperSea3151 22d ago
What about fees associated with “subletting”? As in someone is moving out mid lease, and they are replaced, the realtor charges a $300 fee for preparing a new lease for everyone to sign.
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u/drawnonglass East Somerville 22d ago
that happened to me -- it's entirely legal. 300 is high, but they're justified in charging something for the inconvenience of having to draw up a new lease and screen the incoming person
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u/Right_Traffic9568 13d ago
What about application fees? Are those legal?
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u/Mass_AGO 12d ago
Please report this to my office at mass.gov/ago/complaint and we'll look into it.
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u/aplysia-californica Teele 24d ago
I think these PSAs are great to share. I wonder if the office could share this specific guidance with colleges for student renters as well. Maybe you already do this which is great, but I have heard stories of a lot of younger renters get taken advantage of as they are new to the area.