| Title: | Meower Power is Valuing Differences |
| Notice: | FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY |
| Moderator: | MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO |
| Created: | Sun Feb 09 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Tue Jan 11 1994 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 5089 |
| Total number of notes: | 60366 |
Hi!
Could anyone tell me what the laws in Massachusetts state about
renters and cats... Ie. I am pretty sure that it is against the
law for a renter to charge higher rent to a cat owner than to anyone
else. However, I am NOT sure what the law states regarding "Pet
damage deposits".
My boyfriend and I just looked at some really nice apartments that
we were sortof interested in until they told us they are limiting
people to 1 animal per apartment. We were told that this is because
Mass. does not allow them to collect a pet damage deposit... The
company is out of Rhode Island and this is their first project in
Mass. Anyway, since they could get no damage deposit they decided
to limit the number of pets. They didn't want to say no pets because
they felt that was cutting down on a large portion of their market.
The way I understood things was that you COULD collect a deposit
that would be refundable if there were no damages when you moved
out. I have no problem with paying a deposit... Anyway, I told
the guy that he might want to double check his sources if he thought
it was worth his while... He said that he would... Who knows!
So, out of curiosity, does anyone know the answer to this???
Thanks a lot!
Lesa and Tiggy and Al... (as you can see, the 1 pet per apartment
rule would be a problem for us!)
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2429.1 | VAXWRK::SKALTSIS | Deb | Wed May 03 1989 15:30 | 17 | |
I don't know the answer to the exact question that you pose, but I do
know something about the damage or "security" deposit law. Back when
I got my first apartment, everyone asked for security deposits. About 2
years later, they started asking for last month's rent instead.
According to my landlord at the time, the law was changed so that if
you were asked for a damage deposit, the landlord had to start a separate
bank account specifically for the interest on your deposit, and when
you left, give you an itemized bill of the interest earned and any
withdrawals they made to pay for damages. Previously, they used to just lump
them into one big pot, and while deducting your the cost of any damages
that you may have caused, they never seemed to remember the interest on
the money you initially gave them. So, the bottom line (then) is that it is
that a security deposit causes the landlord more paperwork than asking
for the last month's rent. I think that the law still reads the same
way, but I'm not sure.
Deb
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| 2429.2 | These things do change... | ATSE::BLOCK | Back in the High Life again | Wed May 03 1989 20:53 | 13 |
I'd suggest that you call the state housing office; they'll have the most current info. I know that in NH, "last month's rent" is regarded by the state as a security deposit, and has the same restrictions. Another source on this and other rental questions is the TALLIS::REAL_ESTATE conference (KP7/SELECT to add to your notebook). A lot of the noters there are landlords, so they know the rules. Good luck! Beverly | |||||
| 2429.3 | CRUISE::NDC | Fri May 05 1989 11:48 | 3 | ||
I wonder what would happen if you volunteered to give them extra
security deposit. Would the laws still effect the landlord?
Nancy DC
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| 2429.4 | insurance policy | CHUNK::IVES | I'm my own Persian | Fri May 05 1989 14:57 | 5 |
Check with your insurance company and see if your "rental" home owners
liability policy covers your cats. There is obviously a deductable on
it but it might be worth a phone call.
Barbara
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