Property management in Massachusetts
Massachusetts property management from a family firm you can actually call.
We find the tenants, collect the rent, handle the repairs and keep your property on the right side of Massachusetts law. You get one person to call and a clear statement every month.
Request a proposal or call (617) 734-5050.
- Over 30 years: family-run in Brookline
- Licensed: Massachusetts real estate brokerage
- 7,144 homes for rent on our site right now
The short version
A property manager runs a rental for its owner: finding and screening tenants, collecting rent, arranging repairs and handling the paperwork Massachusetts law requires. Firms publish fees of about 6% to 12% of collected rent a month, plus 50% to 100% of one month’s rent each time they place a new tenant.
What we take off your plate
Finding the right tenants
A vacant unit is the most expensive problem you can have, so this comes first.
- Rent set from what’s listed nearby right now
- Photos, listing and showings
- Written screening criteria, applied the same way to every applicant
- Lease prepared and signed
Rent and money
Rent comes in, bills go out, and you can see every dollar.
- Rent collected and late rent followed up
- Deposits and last month’s rent held the way the statute says
- A statement every month
- Year-end summary for your accountant
Repairs and maintenance
Tenants call us, not you. You decide how much we can spend without asking.
- One number for tenants to call
- Vendors arranged and followed up
- You set the dollar limit for approvals
- Emergencies handled first, explained after
Compliance
The paperwork where a small miss turns into a big bill.
- Statement of condition and deposit receipts on time
- Lead Law notice and lead records
- State Sanitary Code items such as heat
- City filings such as Boston’s rental registry
Move-ins, move-outs, inspections
Good records are what let you keep a deposit when you have every right to.
- Dated condition report at move-in
- Walk-throughs during the tenancy
- Sworn, itemized damage list when needed
- Turnover work scheduled and re-listed
Tenants and renewals
Most problems get smaller when someone answers early.
- Day-to-day questions and complaints
- Renewals started well before a lease ends
- Rent reviews against the current market
- Notices written and delivered properly
When a tenancy goes wrong
We try the fast, cheap routes first, and go to court only when that’s the right call.
- Payment plans and rental assistance referrals
- Notices to quit with the right wording
- Mediation where it can help
- Working with your attorney on any court case
Owners who live away
Out of state or overseas, your property shouldn’t depend on your time zone.
- Decisions by phone or email
- Photos of problems and finished work
- Form W-8ECI collected from foreign owners
- Records you can hand your tax adviser
Properties we look after
A single condo or house
You moved, inherited a place or kept your first home. One unit still needs a lease, a deposit account, a lead check and someone who answers when the heat goes out.
Two- and three-families
The classic Massachusetts rental, whether you live downstairs or across the country. We deal with the tenants so you aren’t knocking on your neighbor’s door about rent.
A few buildings
Once you own more than one, the work stops being occasional. One statement format, one set of vendors and one person who knows all of it.
Apartment buildings
Rent rolls, turnover schedules, common areas, vendors and the rules that start at a certain size, such as Boston’s BERDO reporting at 15 units.
Garden and suburban communities
Grounds, snow, parking and many leases ending at once. These run well on a calendar, and we keep one.
Should you hire a property manager?
A manager probably pays for itself if
- You live more than a short drive from the property.
- You own two or more rentals, or a building with shared systems.
- Rental calls are landing in your workday or your evenings.
- You’re not sure your deposit account, statement of condition or lead records are right.
- A tenant has stopped paying, or the relationship has gone sour.
- You inherited the property and never meant to be a landlord.
You may not need one if
- You own one unit nearby with a long-term tenant who pays on time.
- You already hold the deposit in a separate Massachusetts bank account and pay the interest each year.
- You have a plumber and a heating company who’ll pick up for you at night.
- You actually like doing this.
There’s a middle option. If you only need a tenant, we can handle leasing alone and hand you a signed lease. Then you run the property yourself.
What a property manager costs in Massachusetts
No state agency surveys these fees, so the ranges below are what property management firms and rental sites publish. They are not our prices. Compare whole fee schedules, because a low monthly rate can come with higher charges elsewhere.
| Fee | What firms publish | What to ask |
|---|
| Monthly management | About 6%–12% of collected rent. Some firms charge a flat fee instead, about $50–$200 per unit. | Is it on rent collected, or rent due? Is there a monthly minimum? |
| Leasing (placing a tenant) | 50%–100% of one month’s rent | What happens if the tenant leaves early? Is marketing included? |
| Lease renewal | About $150–$500, or a share of one month’s rent | Is there a charge when nothing in the lease changes? |
| Setup | Nothing to a few hundred dollars | What does it cover, and is it charged per unit? |
| Markup on repairs | About 5%–25% of the vendor’s invoice | Do you add a markup, or keep any vendor discount? |
| Inspections | About $50–$150 each | How many are included each year? |
| Eviction handling | About $200–$500, plus court and attorney costs | Who hires the attorney, and who decides when to file? |
| Vacancy | Often nothing, sometimes $50–$200 per vacant unit | Do I pay anything while the unit is empty? |
What we charge
We send one written proposal after we’ve seen the property and its records, with every fee on it. The number depends on how many units you have, the age and condition of the building and what’s happening with the current tenants.
Massachusetts rules for landlords and property managers
Massachusetts has detailed landlord rules, and most of them apply whether or not you use a manager. Here is what you and any manager you hire need to get right, with the source linked for each.
Does a property manager need a license?
For leasing, yes. There’s no general state license for management itself.
- Renting or leasing real estate for someone else for a fee is real estate brokerage under M.G.L. c.112 §87PP, which takes a broker’s or salesperson’s license. There’s no separate state license for property managers.
- The law exempts a “managing agent” working under a contract with the owner, and that agent’s regular employees (§87QQ). Where that exemption ends isn’t always clear, so if a manager relies on it, ask them to explain how.
- Benjamin Realty is a licensed Massachusetts brokerage. You can check any license on the state’s site.
- Chelsea also requires its own property manager license for residential housing and can fine owners who use an unlicensed manager. Check the city’s rules wherever you own.
Who pays the broker’s fee?
Whoever hired the broker. If you hire us to lease your unit, that’s you.
- As of August 1, 2025, a broker’s fee on a rental must be paid by the person who hired the broker. The state says there are no exceptions, other than leases signed before that date.
- You can’t rename it. Admin fees, selection fees, finder’s fees and leasing fees are all out, and so is raising first or last month’s rent to cover it.
- You still decide what rent to ask for a new tenancy, but you can’t add a broker’s fee surcharge to it.
- A landlord can be liable for up to three times the amount charged, plus attorney’s fees. A broker can be fined or lose their license.
- A broker works for the side that hired them and can’t represent both landlord and tenant.
What can you collect at move-in?
Four things, and the statute means it.
- Before or at the start of a tenancy, you or your agent can require only: first month’s rent, last month’s rent at the same rate, a security deposit of no more than one month’s rent, and the cost to buy and install a key and lock.
- Nothing else can be required at or before move-in, whatever it’s called.
Security deposits and last month’s rent
The rule that catches the most landlords. It’s a deadline-driven checklist.
- Hold the deposit in a separate, interest-bearing account in a bank in Massachusetts, beyond the reach of your creditors.
- Give a receipt when you take the money, and a second one within 30 days naming the bank, the amount and the account number.
- Give the tenant a statement of the unit’s condition within 10 days after the tenancy starts (or when you receive the deposit, if later). The tenant has 15 days to add to it.
- Pay interest every year on both the deposit and last month’s rent: 5%, or the lower amount the bank actually paid.
- When the tenancy ends, return the deposit within 30 days. To keep any of it, send a list of damage sworn under the pains and penalties of perjury in those same 30 days. Without that list, you lose the right to keep any of it.
- Skip the account, fail to transfer the deposit on a sale or miss the 30 days, and the tenant is owed three times the deposit, plus 5% interest, court costs and attorney’s fees.
- If you sell, the deposit and its interest go to the buyer, who must tell the tenant within 45 days.
Heat and basic housing standards
September 15 to May 31, by the thermometer.
- The State Sanitary Code sets the minimum standards for rental housing. Heat must reach at least 68°F from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and 64°F overnight, from September 15 through May 31, in every habitable room and bathroom. It can’t exceed 78°F.
- Tenants can pay for heating fuel only if a written agreement says so. The equipment must still work.
- A tenant can ask the local board of health to inspect, so the first complaint is the time to fix a problem.
Lead paint
In a pre-1978 home with a child under six, this one is on the owner.
- When a child under six lives in a home with dangerous levels of lead, the owner must abate or contain it. A letter of compliance or interim control is what limits your liability.
- You can’t refuse to rent because a home has or may have lead paint, and refusing to rent or renew, or evicting a family, doesn’t count as complying with the law.
- Before a lease on a pre-1978 home, tenants get the state’s Tenant Lead Law Notification. Our disclosures page explains it.
Screening and fair housing
Written criteria, the same for everyone.
- You can set requirements for things like income, rental history and credit. Apply them the same way to every applicant.
- You can’t turn someone away because they use a Section 8 voucher or other housing subsidy, or because of any requirement of that program.
- You can’t refuse a tenant because they have children, with narrow exceptions such as renting one unit of a two-family where you live in the other.
- Local, state and federal limits on how many people can occupy a home still apply. Fair housing laws protect more groups than these two, so use the same process for everyone.
Late rent, notices and eviction
Only a court can remove a tenant, and notices have to be exactly right.
- No interest or penalty can be charged on late rent until it’s 30 days overdue.
- For unpaid rent, the landlord gives 14 days’ written notice to quit. A tenant at will can undo it by paying within 10 days of receiving the notice, unless they got a similar notice in the past 12 months. A tenant with a written lease can pay what’s owed, with interest and costs, up to the day their answer is due in court.
- To end a tenancy at will for other reasons, notice runs for one rental period or 30 days, whichever is longer.
- You can’t remove a tenant yourself. Changing locks or shutting off utilities can leave you owing damages.
- A notice to end a tenancy (other than for unpaid rent), a rent increase or a major change in terms within six months of a tenant’s complaint is presumed to be retaliation. Damages run from one to three months’ rent, or actual damages if higher, plus attorney’s fees.
- Back rent can often be solved without court. RAFT can pay up to $7,000 in a 12-month period for tenants who qualify.
Billing tenants for water
Allowed, with conditions.
- You can bill for water only at the start of a new tenancy, with a submeter or direct meter, water-saving fixtures installed, a certification filed and a written lease that clearly says so.
- You can’t add administrative, billing or meter-reading fees on top.
City rules: Boston and others
Your town may add its own filings. Boston certainly does.
- Boston requires rental properties to register each year, by July 1: $25 a unit the first time and $15 to renew, capped at $2,500 a building. Vacant units count too. The penalty can run $300 a month, and the city inspects at least once every five years.
- BERDO requires Boston residential buildings with 15 or more units to report energy and water use by May 15 each year.
- Other cities have their own rules. Tell us the address and we’ll tell you what applies.
Is there rent control?
Not today.
Insurance
Tenants and officials can ask who insures the building.
Taxes, and owners who live abroad
Rent paid to a foreign owner has its own rule. Check with a tax adviser before the first payment.
- Rental income and expenses go on Schedule E. Keep every statement.
- For a nonresident alien, rent is taxed at 30% of the gross amount, or a lower treaty rate, unless the owner chooses to treat it as effectively connected income. Then they can deduct expenses and pay tax on the net.
- To stop withholding, the owner gives the payer a Form W-8ECI before rent is paid. It needs a U.S. taxpayer ID, such as an ITIN, and generally lasts through the third calendar year after signing.
How to choose a property manager: questions to ask
- Are you licensed, and who is your broker of record? A good answer: A name and a license number you can look up yourself.
- Where will my tenants’ deposits be held? A good answer: A separate, interest-bearing account at a Massachusetts bank, with receipts they can show you.
- Can I see every fee on one page? A good answer: Yes, before you sign, including markups, renewals, setup and cancellation.
- How long is the contract, and how do I leave? A good answer: A clear term and notice period, and a promise in writing that records, keys and deposits come back to you.
- Who answers at 2 a.m. when a pipe bursts? A good answer: A specific process, with what counts as an emergency and who can approve the repair.
- How much can you spend without asking me? A good answer: A dollar limit that you choose.
- Do you mark up vendor invoices? A good answer: A plain yes or no, and how much.
- When do I get paid, and what will I see? A good answer: A date, and a sample statement.
- How do you screen applicants? A good answer: Written criteria used for every applicant, with voucher holders treated the same as anyone else.
- How do you handle lead paint? A good answer: They ask when your building was built and whether a letter of compliance is on file.
- What happens the day rent is late? A good answer: A timeline: reminder, payment plan, rental assistance referral, notice, attorney.
- Who will actually handle my building? A good answer: A named person, and roughly how many other units they look after.
- What insurance do you carry? A good answer: Liability and errors-and-omissions coverage, with a certificate.
- Can I talk to an owner with a building like mine? A good answer: Yes, without hesitation.
Red flags
- Won’t put fees in writing
- Keeps deposits in the company’s operating account
- Charges tenants an “admin” or “leasing” fee
- Can’t or won’t give you a license number
- Big cancellation fees or a long lock-in
- Promises there’ll be no vacancy or no problems
How getting started works
- Tell us about the property. Use the form below or call us. An address, the number of units and what’s going on is enough to start.
- We look at it with you. We see the property and go through what you have: leases, deposit records, lead documents, insurance and any open problems.
- You get a written proposal. Every service and fee, the term and how to end it. If we aren’t the right fit, we’ll tell you.
- We take over. We collect the records and keys, confirm the deposit account, introduce ourselves to tenants and tell them where to pay and who to call. If you’re leaving another manager, we’ll request the records from them.
- You get your first statement. Rent in, bills out, our fee and what’s yours, followed by one every month after that.
Where we manage
We’re based in Brookline and work across Greater Boston and MetroWest. If your property is somewhere else in Massachusetts, ask. We’ll tell you plainly whether we can look after it well.
What’s being asked for rent right now
Median asking rent among the active rental listings on our site in each town, all unit sizes, updated as listings change. It’s a starting point, not a price for your unit.
- Brookline: $3,815 a month, from 285 rentals
- Boston: $3,200 a month, from 1904 rentals
- Cambridge: $3,600 a month, from 249 rentals
- Somerville: $3,400 a month, from 212 rentals
- Newton: $3,750 a month, from 144 rentals
- Watertown: $2,900 a month, from 102 rentals
- Waltham: $2,848 a month, from 96 rentals
- Belmont: $3,700 a month, from 30 rentals
- Arlington: $3,238 a month, from 68 rentals
- Medford: $3,200 a month, from 134 rentals
- Malden: $2,700 a month, from 109 rentals
- Everett: $2,750 a month, from 77 rentals
- Revere: $2,623 a month, from 76 rentals
- Quincy: $2,500 a month, from 199 rentals
- Milton: $3,225 a month, from 20 rentals
- Dedham: $2,800 a month, from 25 rentals
- Needham: $3,675 a month, from 14 rentals
- Wellesley: $5,100 a month, from 26 rentals
- Natick: $2,800 a month, from 39 rentals
- Framingham: $2,380 a month, from 120 rentals
- Lexington: $4,500 a month, from 39 rentals
- Norwood: $2,845 a month, from 70 rentals
- Canton: $2,988 a month, from 38 rentals
- Worcester: $2,200 a month, from 247 rentals
Who you’d be working with
Benjamin Realty is a family-run real estate brokerage in Brookline. For over 30 years we’ve helped people buy, sell and rent across Greater Boston and MetroWest, and the next generation now helps keep it going.
Leasing and management under one roof
We’re a licensed brokerage, so finding your tenant and looking after them afterward is one job with one team.
Your vacancy where renters already look
Our site carries thousands of rentals across the region, with neighborhood guides, and renter guides in more than a dozen languages.
Rent set from real listings
We work from what’s actually on the market on your street this week, not a formula.
Property management questions
Hiring a property manager
What does a property manager do?
A property manager runs a rental on the owner’s behalf: marketing the unit, screening tenants, preparing leases, collecting rent, arranging repairs, handling deposits and notices, keeping records and reporting to the owner each month.
Do I need a property manager in Massachusetts?
No, owners can manage their own rentals. Hiring one usually makes sense if you live far away, own several units, or aren’t confident about the deposit, lead and notice rules. Here’s how to decide.
Does a property manager need a license in Massachusetts?
There’s no separate state license for property managers, but renting or leasing property for someone else for a fee takes a real estate license. A managing agent under contract with an owner is exempt under M.G.L. c.112 §87QQ, and Chelsea has its own city license. More on licensing.
Can you manage just one condo?
Yes. Tell us about it, and we’ll tell you whether full management or leasing alone makes more sense for one unit.
Do you manage condo associations or commercial property?
We’re set up for rental owners. If you’re on a condo board, or have shops under your apartments or a commercial building, call us and we’ll tell you honestly whether we’re the right fit.
Do you work outside Greater Boston?
Our focus is Greater Boston and MetroWest. For elsewhere in Massachusetts, send us the address and we’ll tell you plainly whether we can look after it well.
Can I keep my own plumber or contractor?
Tell us who you use and we’ll work it into the agreement. We’ll want them licensed and insured where the work calls for it, and we’ll want to know they answer the phone.
How do I switch from my current property manager?
Read your contract’s notice period first, then give notice in writing. Your outgoing manager should hand over leases, tenant ledgers, deposit records, keys and vendor details. We’ll make the request and tell tenants where to pay from then on.
Costs and contracts
How much does a property manager cost in Massachusetts?
Firms publish about 6% to 12% of collected rent a month, or a flat $50 to $200 per unit, plus 50% to 100% of one month’s rent to place a tenant. Renewals, repair markups and inspections are often extra. See the full table.
What do you charge?
We quote after we’ve seen the property and its records, in a written proposal with every fee on it. The number depends on units, condition and the current tenants. Ask for a proposal.
Can I pass the management or leasing fee on to the tenant?
No. Since August 1, 2025, a broker’s fee is paid by whoever hired the broker, and it can’t be relabeled or built into first or last month’s rent. Read the rule.
Are property management fees tax deductible?
The IRS lists management fees, commissions and repairs among common rental expenses, reported on Schedule E. Ask your tax adviser how they apply to you.
How long is the contract, and can I cancel?
That’s set out in our written proposal before you sign, including the notice needed to end it and how records, keys and deposits come back to you. Ask any manager for the same.
How and when do I get paid?
Rent comes in, approved expenses and our fee come out, and the rest goes to you each month with a statement. The date goes in your agreement.
What about guaranteed rent?
Some firms advertise it. Read what triggers the guarantee, what it excludes and what you pay for it. No guarantee replaces a well-screened tenant and a well-kept building.
Tenants
How long does it take to find a tenant?
It depends on price, condition and timing. In much of Greater Boston, many leases turn over on September 1, so listing early for that date matters. A well-priced unit at the right time goes much faster than an overpriced one in January.
How do you screen tenants?
With written criteria applied the same way to every applicant, covering things like income, rental history and credit. We don’t ask about anything the law bars us from considering.
Can a landlord refuse a Section 8 voucher in Massachusetts?
No. M.G.L. c.151B §4(10) bars discriminating against a tenant because they receive a housing subsidy or because of the program’s requirements.
Can I refuse a family with young kids because of lead paint?
No. M.G.L. c.111 §199A makes that unlawful, and refusing or evicting doesn’t count as complying with the Lead Law. The owner’s duty is to abate or contain dangerous lead.
What happens if a tenant stops paying?
We follow up early and look at a payment plan or rental assistance such as RAFT. If that fails, the next step is a 14-day notice to quit, and then a case in court with your attorney. See the steps.
How long does an eviction take in Massachusetts?
It varies by court and by whether the tenant contests the case. Plan on months rather than weeks if it’s contested, which is why the early steps are worth the effort.
Can I raise the rent?
Yes. Massachusetts has no rent control, so you can change the rent at renewal or with proper notice to a tenant at will. A raise within six months of a tenant’s complaint is presumed to be retaliation.
Rules and special situations
Who is responsible if my manager breaks a rule?
Often you are. The deposit statute, for one, holds “the lessor or his agent” to its duties, and a tenant’s claim can name you as the owner. That’s why it’s worth asking how a manager handles these things before you hire them.
Where do security deposits go?
Into a separate, interest-bearing account at a Massachusetts bank, with receipts to the tenant and interest paid each year. See the deposit checklist.
Do I have to register my rental?
In Boston, yes, every year by July 1, even if the unit is vacant. Other cities have their own rules. See city rules.
I live overseas. Can you manage my property?
Yes. We handle decisions by phone and email. Because rent paid to a foreign owner is generally subject to 30% withholding unless a valid Form W-8ECI is on file, talk to a tax adviser before the first rent payment. See the tax rules.
I just inherited a rental. Where do I start?
Find the lease, the deposit records and the insurance, and call us. The deposit and its interest carry over to whoever takes the property, so it’s the first thing to confirm.
What if I decide to sell?
We’re brokers, so we can help with that too. Tenants’ deposits and their interest transfer to the buyer, and a tenant’s lease generally continues after a sale.
Request a proposal
Tell us about your property. Someone from our team will get back to you, and there’s no obligation.
Call (617) 734-5050 or email [email protected].
Sources
Licensing
Tenancies and money
Safety and fair housing
City rules and rent control
Taxes
Published fee ranges
General information, not legal or tax advice. Laws change, and your situation may differ, so check with an attorney or tax adviser before you act. Fee ranges come from other firms’ published figures and are not our prices. Law and fee sections last checked October 30, 2026. Benjamin Realty is an Equal Housing Opportunity business.
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