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Westport is a rural coastal town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, with a relatively small but growing renter population. While it lacks the dense urban rental market of Boston or Worcester, Westport tenants face the same landlord-tenant issues common across the state: security deposit disputes, habitability concerns, and eviction proceedings. Understanding your rights under Massachusetts law is essential whether you are renting a single-family home, a cottage, or an apartment in Westport.
Massachusetts provides some of the strongest tenant protections in the United States at the state level. Renters in Westport benefit from strict security deposit rules, a robust sanitary code enforced by the local board of health, and powerful anti-retaliation protections — all without needing a local ordinance to trigger these rights. The most common questions Westport tenants search for involve how quickly landlords must return deposits, what happens when a landlord ignores repair requests, and how much notice is required before eviction.
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws may change, and your specific situation may involve facts that alter the legal outcome. If you are facing eviction or a serious landlord dispute, contact a qualified attorney or a free legal aid organization in Massachusetts.
There is no rent control in Westport, Massachusetts. Massachusetts voters passed Ballot Question 9 in November 1994, which repealed rent control ordinances that had existed in Boston, Cambridge, and Brookline, and effectively prohibited cities and towns from enacting new rent control laws going forward. Westport never had its own rent control ordinance before or after that repeal.
In 2020, the Massachusetts Legislature passed Chapter 358 of the Acts of 2020, which removed the statewide prohibition and theoretically allows municipalities to adopt rent stabilization ordinances again. However, as of April 2026, no Massachusetts city or town — including Westport — has enacted a new rent control or rent stabilization ordinance under this authority. Until a local ordinance is passed, landlords in Westport may raise rents by any amount at the end of a lease term or upon proper notice for month-to-month tenancies.
In practical terms, this means Westport renters have no cap on rent increases. A landlord can raise your rent when your lease expires or, for month-to-month tenants, with at least 30 days' written notice under M.G.L. c. 186, § 12. If you cannot afford the new rent, your options are to negotiate with your landlord, find a new unit, or — if the increase follows a protected act like a repair complaint — challenge it as retaliatory under M.G.L. c. 186, § 18.
Even without local ordinances, Massachusetts law provides Westport renters with substantial protections across several key areas.
Security Deposits (M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B): Massachusetts has some of the strictest security deposit rules in the country. A landlord may not collect more than one month's rent as a security deposit. The deposit must be held in a separate, interest-bearing bank account, and the landlord must provide the tenant with written notice of the bank name and account number within 30 days of receipt. Tenants earn interest on the deposit annually. Violations of these requirements can result in the tenant being entitled to the immediate return of the deposit plus up to treble damages and attorney's fees.
Implied Warranty of Habitability & the Sanitary Code (M.G.L. c. 111, § 127L; 105 CMR 410): Every residential rental in Massachusetts must comply with the State Sanitary Code, which sets minimum standards for heat (at least 68°F from September 15 through June 15), hot water, structural integrity, pest control, and more. Westport tenants can report violations to the Bristol County Board of Health or Westport's local health agent. If violations are serious and the landlord fails to remedy them, tenants may have the right to withhold rent, repair the condition and deduct the cost from rent, or terminate the lease — but only after following specific legal procedures.
Notice Requirements (M.G.L. c. 186, § 12): A landlord must provide at least 30 days' written notice — equal to the rental period for weekly tenants — to terminate a month-to-month tenancy. The notice must be timed to expire at the end of a rental period (e.g., the last day of the month). A tenant wishing to terminate must give the same notice to the landlord. Notice requirements for fixed-term leases are governed by the lease agreement itself.
Anti-Retaliation Protections (M.G.L. c. 186, § 18): A landlord cannot raise rent, reduce services, refuse to renew a lease, or begin eviction proceedings in retaliation for a tenant's protected activities. Protected activities include reporting housing code violations to a government agency, contacting a building inspector, organizing with other tenants, or exercising any legal right. Under Massachusetts law, if a landlord takes adverse action within six months of a tenant's protected act, the retaliation is legally presumed — meaning the burden shifts to the landlord to prove a legitimate reason. Tenants who prevail in a retaliation claim may recover up to three months' rent, actual damages, and attorney's fees.
Lockout & Utility Shutoff Prohibition (M.G.L. c. 186, § 14): Self-help eviction is illegal in Massachusetts. A landlord may not remove a tenant's belongings, change the locks, or shut off utilities (heat, water, electricity) in order to force a tenant out. Doing so exposes the landlord to liability for the greater of three months' rent or actual damages, plus attorney's fees. Only a court order — following a formal eviction (summary process) proceeding — can legally remove a tenant.
Discrimination Protections (M.G.L. c. 151B): The Massachusetts Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, marital status, familial status, military service, and source of income (including Section 8 vouchers). The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (MCAD) enforces these protections.
Massachusetts security deposit law — found at M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B — is among the most tenant-protective in the nation, and it applies in full to Westport rentals.
Cap: A landlord in Westport may collect a security deposit of no more than one month's rent. Collecting a larger deposit is a violation of state law and entitles the tenant to immediate return of the full deposit.
Separate Account & Interest: The deposit must be deposited in a separate, interest-bearing account at a Massachusetts bank within 30 days of receipt. The landlord must give the tenant written notice of the bank name, branch address, and account number within that same 30-day window. Tenants are entitled to annual interest on the deposit, which may be paid each year or credited toward rent.
Itemized Statement of Condition: Within 10 days of the tenancy beginning (or receipt of the deposit, whichever is later), the landlord must provide the tenant with a written statement of the condition of the premises. If the landlord fails to provide this statement, they forfeit the right to retain any portion of the deposit for damages.
Return Deadline: After the tenancy ends, the landlord must return the deposit — along with accrued interest — within 30 days. If the landlord withholds any portion, they must provide an itemized written statement of deductions within the same 30-day period, accompanied by receipts for any repair costs exceeding $25.
Penalty for Violations: If a landlord fails to return the deposit, fails to provide required notices, commingles the deposit with other funds, or wrongfully withholds deductions, the tenant may sue for treble damages (three times the deposit amount), plus court costs and attorney's fees, under M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B(7). These penalties apply even if the underlying deduction was partially legitimate but procedurally flawed.
In Massachusetts, the formal eviction process is called summary process. Westport landlords must follow this court-supervised process to remove a tenant — there are no shortcuts.
Step 1 — Notice to Quit: Before filing in court, the landlord must serve the tenant with a written Notice to Quit. The required notice period depends on the reason for eviction:
Step 2 — Summary Process Summons and Complaint: After the notice period expires (and if the tenant has not cured the issue or vacated), the landlord files a Summary Process Summons and Complaint in the local Housing Court or District Court. Bristol County cases involving Westport are heard at the New Bedford Housing Court. The tenant receives a summons specifying the hearing date.
Step 3 — Hearing: Both parties appear before a judge. Tenants have the right to raise defenses such as retaliation (M.G.L. c. 186, § 18), breach of the warranty of habitability (M.G.L. c. 111, § 127L), or failure by the landlord to comply with security deposit law (M.G.L. c. 186, § 15B). Tenants should bring documentation, photographs, repair requests, and any correspondence with the landlord.
Step 4 — Judgment and Execution: If the landlord wins, the court issues a judgment. The tenant typically has 10 days to appeal or request a stay. If no appeal is filed, the landlord may obtain an execution — a court order authorizing a sheriff or constable to physically remove the tenant. Only a sheriff or constable with an execution may carry out the removal.
Self-Help Eviction Is Illegal: Under M.G.L. c. 186, § 14, a landlord who changes the locks, removes doors or windows, shuts off utilities, or physically removes a tenant's belongings without a court order commits an illegal eviction. The tenant may recover the greater of three months' rent or actual damages, plus attorney's fees. Westport tenants subjected to a lockout should call the police and contact legal aid immediately.
Just Cause Eviction: Westport has no just-cause eviction ordinance. Unlike Boston (which enacted a Just Cause Eviction Ordinance in 2024), Westport landlords are not required to state a reason for ending a month-to-month tenancy. However, the termination may not be retaliatory or discriminatory.
The information on this page is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Tenant rights laws in Massachusetts — including statutes, regulations, and court interpretations — can change, and the specific facts of your situation may significantly affect the legal outcome. Westport renters facing eviction, security deposit disputes, habitability issues, or other landlord-tenant problems should consult a licensed Massachusetts attorney or contact a free legal aid organization such as Community Legal Aid or Greater Boston Legal Services. RentCheckMe makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of the information provided and is not responsible for actions taken in reliance on it.
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