If you’re apartment hunting in Massachusetts with a dog, cat, or other animal in tow, you might assume state law guarantees your right to keep a pet. It doesn’t. Massachusetts law actually gives landlords broad authority to refuse pets altogether, and the exceptions are narrower than many renters expect.
Whether you’re negotiating a new lease or already living under a shaky pet policy, knowing exactly where the law draws the line can protect you from an unexpected eviction notice or an illegal fee tacked onto your deposit. This breakdown walks through what a Massachusetts landlord can and cannot do about pets, from blanket no-pet clauses to service animal protections, breed restrictions, deposit limits, and your options if a building says no.
Can a Landlord Legally Ban Pets in Massachusetts
In most cases, yes. Massachusetts landlord-tenant law gives property owners wide discretion here: landlords may prohibit pets altogether or use reasonable rules to control them on rental property . There is no statewide statute forcing a landlord to accept animals, and no Massachusetts or federal law requires landlords to rent to pet owners.
A written “no pets” clause in your lease is generally enforceable. As the landlord advocacy group MassLandlords puts it, property owners can stipulate “no pets” in a lease agreement and ban any species of animal they want. That means a landlord can turn down a cat, a dog, a bird, or a tank of fish just as easily as they can decline an applicant for any other lawful reason…