Renter guides
The laws hiding inside your lease, explained the way a straight-talking advocate would — direct answer first, every claim tied to the actual statute, and what to do about it next.
Massachusetts
MA · Renter law
Is a broker fee legal in Massachusetts?
Since August 1, 2025, Massachusetts renters only pay broker fees for brokers they actually hired. How M.G.L. c. 112, § 87DDD½ works — and what to do if you’re charged one anyway.
Updated July 13, 20267 min read
MA · Renter law
What’s the maximum security deposit a landlord can charge in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts caps security deposits at one month’s rent — and only three other move-in charges are legal. What M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B allows, and the triple-damages penalty for landlords who break it.
Updated July 13, 20267 min read
MA · Renter law
Can my landlord charge a late fee in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts landlords can’t charge any late fee or interest until rent is a full 30 days overdue — one of the strictest timing rules in the country. What M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B says, and what to do about a 5-day late fee in your lease.
Updated July 13, 20266 min read
MA · City guide
Renting in Boston: the September 1 survival guide
Most Boston leases turn over on September 1 — and the rush is where bad lease terms hide. Move-in cost math under the law, the 2025 broker-fee change, heat and lead rules, and what to check before you sign.
Updated July 13, 20267 min read
MA · City guide
Renting in Cambridge & Somerville: the triple-decker handbook
Grad students and young professionals power the Cambridge–Somerville rental market — and its triple-deckers come with quirks the law already answers: entry rights, deposits held to strict rules, deleading, and heat minimums.
Updated July 13, 20266 min read
Rhode Island
RI · Renter law
What are the security deposit rules in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island caps security deposits at one month’s rent, requires return within 20 days, and — since 2024 — bans rental application fees entirely. What R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-19 and § 34-18-59 actually say.
Updated July 13, 20266 min read
RI · Renter law
Does Rhode Island limit late fees on rent?
Rhode Island has no statute capping rent late fees — and the “15-day grace period” you’ve read about isn’t a late-fee rule at all. What R.I. Gen. Laws § 34-18-35 actually says, and what really limits a late fee in RI.
Updated July 15, 20265 min read
RI · City guide
Renting in Providence: from College Hill to Federal Hill
Providence’s student-heavy rental market runs on old triple-deckers and fast decisions. What Rhode Island law guarantees — the banned application fee, the one-month deposit cap, 2-day entry notice, and the lead rules that matter in pre-1978 housing.
Updated July 13, 20266 min read
RI · City guide
Renting in Newport: year-round leases in a summer town
Newport’s rental market splits into summer gold-rush and September-to-May “winter rentals.” How Rhode Island law applies to furnished seasonal leases, the extra furniture deposit, and what Navy families and year-rounders should check.
Updated July 13, 20266 min read
New York
NY · Renter law
How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in New York?
New York caps security deposits at one month’s rent — and that single month covers every deposit and advance combined. The 14-day return rule, the $20 application fee cap, and what N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108 actually says.
Updated July 15, 20266 min read
NY · Renter law
How much can a landlord charge for a late fee in New York?
New York caps rent late fees at $50 or 5% of the monthly rent, whichever is less — and never before rent is 5 days late. What N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 238-a allows, with a free late-fee calculator.
Updated July 15, 20266 min read
NY · City guide
Getting your first apartment in NYC: what the law actually guarantees
Broker fees after the FARE Act, the one-month deposit cap, the $20 application fee limit, heat season, bedbug disclosure, and the roommate law — the rules every first-time NYC renter should know before signing.
Updated July 13, 20267 min read
NY · City guide
Renting in Brooklyn: brownstones, basements, and what to check first
Brooklyn’s rental stock runs from brownstone floor-throughs to converted basements — and the difference between a legal and illegal unit is worth thousands. Certificates of occupancy, rent stabilization checks, and the lease terms to catch.
Updated July 13, 20267 min read
California
CA · Renter law
What’s the maximum security deposit in California?
California caps security deposits at one month’s rent — furnished or not, and whatever the deposit is called. The small-landlord exception, the 21-day return rule, and what Cal. Civ. Code § 1950.5 says in 2026.
Updated July 13, 20266 min read
CA · Renter law
Are late fees legal in California?
California sets no dollar cap on rent late fees — but Civil Code § 1671(d) presumes late fees in a residential lease are void unless the landlord can prove they reflect real damages. What that means for the fee on your lease.
Updated July 15, 20266 min read
CA · City guide
Renting in Los Angeles: rent caps, just cause, and which rules cover your building
LA renters live under overlapping rulebooks — the city’s Rent Stabilization Ordinance for older buildings and statewide AB 1482 for most of the rest. How to tell which covers you, plus the deposit, entry, and eviction rules that apply everywhere.
Updated July 14, 20267 min read
CA · City guide
Renting in San Francisco: the Rent Ordinance, roommates, and master-tenant leases
Most pre-1979 SF buildings sit under the city’s Rent Ordinance — capped increases and just-cause eviction protections stronger than state law. How SF’s local layer, the roommate economy, and master-tenant subleases actually work.
Updated July 14, 20267 min read
Texas
TX · Renter law
How much can a landlord charge in late fees in Texas?
Texas late fees must be in the lease, reasonable, and can’t start until rent is two full days late. The 12%/10% safe harbors, the $100 + triple-fee penalty, and what Tex. Prop. Code § 92.019 actually says.
Updated July 15, 20266 min read
TX · City guide
Renting in Austin: student cycles, no rent control, and the lease that rules everything
Austin rents on a UT-driven August cycle in a state with no rent control and no deposit cap — which makes the lease itself your main protection. The late-fee limits, lockout rules, and repair duties Texas law does guarantee.
Updated July 13, 20267 min read
TX · City guide
Renting in Houston: floodplains, no zoning, and the questions to ask before signing
Houston landlords must disclose 100-year floodplain locations and recent flood damage — a Texas law written for this city. That rule, plus the deposit, late-fee, and utility protections that govern Houston’s sprawling rental market.
Updated July 13, 20267 min read
Tools & comparisons
Renter law
Can a landlord take a late fee out of your security deposit?
Whether a landlord can deduct a late fee from your security deposit depends on your state and lease — and an unlawful late fee can never be deducted. What Massachusetts, New York, and Texas deposit law actually allows.
Updated July 15, 20266 min read
Tools & comparisons
Can ChatGPT review my lease?
ChatGPT is great at translating legalese — and unreliable at state landlord-tenant law. Where general AI helps renters, where it hallucinates, and how it compares to a lawyer and a statute-grounded lease scanner.
Updated July 13, 20266 min read