Landlord's Legal Guide in Massachusetts

by Di Blasi, Joseph P.

• ISBN13: 9781572485686
• ISBN10: 157248568X
• Edition: 3rd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-10-20
• Publisher: Sphinx Pub

Summary

"This new edition of Landlord's Legal Guide in Massachusetts is a practical, well-organized manual designed to provide landlords with valuable legal information. Vital information regarding federal and state laws relating to rent collection, discrimination and eviction of a tenant are just a few of the topics discussed."

Table of Contents

Using Self-Help Law Books	xi
Introduction	xv
Laws that Govern Rental Property	1	(4)
Massachusetts Statutes
Massachusetts Regulations
Local Laws
Federal Laws
Legal Research
Creating the Landlord/Tenant Relationship	5	(20)
Certificate of Occupancy
Health Inspection and Certificate
Smoke Detectors and Carbon Monoxide Alarms
Lead Paint
Application Process
Discrimination
Leases and Rental Agreements	25	(14)
Tenancy at Will
Leases
Rules and Regulations
Options
Forms
Signatures
Backing Out of a Lease
Handling Deposits	39	(10)
Security Deposits
Last Month's Rent
Deposits upon the Sale or Transfer of Property
Responsibility for Maintenance	49	(8)
Landlord's Duties and Tenant's Rights
Landlord's Rights and Tenant's Responsibilities
Landlord Liabilities	57	(6)
Injuries on the Premises
Protection from Liability for Injuries
Crimes against Tenants
Changing the Terms of the Tenancy	63	(6)
Assignment or Sublease by Tenant
Sale of Property by Landlord
Raising the Rent
Modifying the Lease
Problems During the Tenancy	69	(6)
Landlord's Access to the Premises
Violations by the Tenant
Violations by the Landlord
Destruction of the Premises
Terminating a Tenancy	75	(14)
Landlord's Termination of Residential Tenancy
Landlord's Termination of Commercial Tenancy
Special Rules for Public Housing
Death of a Tenant
Options to Cancel
Evicting a Tenant	89	(40)
Self-Help by Landlord
Surrender or Abandonment
Settling with the Tenant
Using an Attorney
Who Can Sue
Summary Process Action
Tenant's Possible Defenses
Tenant's Counterclaims
Commercial Tenant's Defenses and Counterclaims
Settlement
Hearing
Appeals
Post-Judgment Motions
Execution
Tenant's Bankruptcy
Self-Service Storage Space	129	(4)
Rental Agreement
Operator's Lien
Withholding Access
Mobile Home Parks	133	(10)
Licensing and Registration
Requirements and Restrictions
Sale of the Tenant's Mobile Home
Termination of the Tenancy
Glossary	143	(6)
Appendix A: Top 10 Ways to be a Successful Landlord	149	(2)
Appendix B: Selected Massachusetts Statutes and Regulations	151	(26)
Appendix C: Highlights of the State Sanitary Code	177	(6)
Appendix D: Addresses of District and Housing Courts	183	(6)
Appendix E: Eviction Process Sample Forms	189	(16)
Appendix F: Blank Forms	205	(60)
Index	265