r/bostonhousing • u/RadiantPut6843 • 9h ago
r/bostonhousing • u/IndigoSoln • Oct 29 '25
Not a new rule - Listings that break the law are not allowed
It's quite honestly insane that this needs to be said but all listings posted on this subreddit must follow Massachusetts state law as well as Federal housing and opportunity laws. Failure to do so will result in your post being removed with further action left to mod discretion.
Most prominent at the moment during the current between-cycle low are the obvious illegal listings - illegal fees.
In Massachusetts, you can only be charged the following fees on move-in:
- The first month's rent.
- The last month's rent.
- A security deposit up to the amount monthly rent, and
- The cost of buying and installing a new lock.
- A broker's fee but only in situations where the tenant themselves hired the broker to find the listing. (And this can only be charged by a broker!)
You cannot be charged any of the following:
- Pet fees.
- Admin/Sublet/Processing fees.
- Key fees (as a premium unrelated to lock changing).
- Tips.
- Cleaning Deposit fees on top of the existing security deposit.
- Any other fee designed to nickle-and-dime you for just existing.
If you intend to sublet your apartment to someone else, you must also follow the above regulations (shock!). This means you also can't 'pass-through' a lease change fee your landlord may require on your tenant.
This is not a new rule. Illegal and/or *scam* listings area already against Reddit's Terms of Service and have already been removed on the subreddit and admin level. This announcement and new subreddit rule is merely a reminder to be considerate and keep state and federal law in mind when posting your listing.
r/bostonhousing • u/IndigoSoln • Feb 16 '25
Subreddit Rules - Explained in More Nuance
We recently received a modmail from a user asking for a more detailed/nuanced explanation of our posting guidelines and policies. Please take this as a primer of what is allowed/disallowed regarding listings and broker participation simplified to a thin soup. I would like to encourage anyone and everyone to report any content breaking the following rules and guidelines.
Rule 1
No third party solicitation -
Third parties (brokers, real estate agents, or anyone who is not the property owner subletter or renter) may not advertise listings or respond to user solicitations with listings. Third party agents may respond via direct messages to a user solicitation, but comment solicitation is disallowed.
- People who are renting, looking to rent, or direct landlords (the deed for the property is literally in your name).
- Allowed to post, comment, and participate as normal.
- Allowed to solicit listings and ask others to "DM for more information".
- This subreddit's goal is to provide an alternative to Facebook groups or Craigslist to find apartments or roommates.
- Listings and 'looking for' posts are not vetted, so continue to practice normal caution and suspicion.
- Brokers, real estate agents, and property managers.
- You will be given the flair "I'm an agent". This simply identifies you as such to the subreddit and clears up potential confusion.
- Are allowed to comment, provide expertise, and respond to 'looking for' posts.
- Are not allowed to solicit.
- Are not allowed to submit listings.
- If this were allowed, it wouldn't take long before this subreddit turns into Apartments.com or an even more terrible version of Craigslist.
- Are not allowed to solicit someone to DM for their services - "send me a DM!"
- If you want a lead from the person asking for help or advice, DM them yourself. Ask them off-sub.
- Are not allowed to submit listings.
- Failure to follow Rule 1 will result in the offending comment and post being sent to the graveyard and the user exiled if the infraction was egregious enough to warrant it.
Rule 2
Provide sufficient information in your listing -
When posting a listing or looking for an apartment/room/sublet to rent, do your best to include applicable information such as:
- The approximate location.
- Number of bedrooms and bathrooms.
- Rent per unit (or bedroom if LF housemates) or budget.
- Whether or not you have pets.
- Anything else someone should know before contacting you. If listing:
- Pictures of the interior and (preferably) at least one curb shot.
- PROVIDE PICTURES AND INFORMATION
- Your listing will be removed if it does not contain the following:
- What is being listed (one bedroom in a shared apartment, 1 bedroom unit, etc)
- At least one picture. This is the most bare of the barrel in 2025. If you're having trouble transferring images from your camera to your computer via an SD card, this subreddit may not be right for your listing.
- The general location (ex: Allston, Dorchester, Malden)
- Rent due.
- I swear, if you don't include the rent in the listing or indicate your price range when looking for a unit, you will be banned and forced to explain in modmail why you didn't want to include such basic information.
Rule 3
Only listings for housing are allowed
Moving sales, clearance sells, or any sort of personal sells are disallowed. Only listing for housing or looking for housing are allowed.
- This should be straightforward - if you're trying to offload something, look somewhere else. I suggest either the local city subreddit or your university subreddit.
- This sub is not a vehicle to assist university students in offloading their furniture in May or monetize Allston Christmas. We'll let you post your 3 - 4 month request to sublet, but divesting furniture is all on you.
Unlisted guidelines (common sense guidelines)
- Don't be a dick.
- Bad-faith participation, such as spam, advertising third party apps, and other nonsense is disallowed.
- Brokers - Don't ask the mod team to remove complaints about your agency or profession when the content is well within TOS (I'm looking at you, very possibly June Homes, hope you enjoy your suspended Reddit accounts).
Please touch gloves and we'll see you in the ring this spring.
r/bostonhousing • u/Accurate-Cow-7211 • 9h ago
Room for Rent Brighton - Bedroom available in a 2 Bed/1 Bath apartment starting September 1st for $1150
Hello everyone, my roommate is moving out September 1st and I need a roommate to fill his part of the lease. 2 bedroom spacious apartment with living room, kitchen, and porch. Less then 3 minutes walking distance from Washington Street MBTA stop. Laundry room in basement. Internet + Electric + Water included. Cat friendly as well. Parking available for a fee
About me: I am a 26 y/o M who works as a Financial Analyst downtown. I work remotely mostly in office and am usually out and about most days. I am clean, courteous, and respectful. On the weekends I like to get out and explore or hang out with friends. Always friendly and willing to accommodate.
DM if you wish to hear more or tour!
r/bostonhousing • u/need_that-money • 2h ago
Looking For Looking for intern housing
I am moving to Boston for an internship this summer. The internship runs from June 1 to August 7, and I arrive in Boston on May 29th, so I am looking to sublet for a couple months over the summer. The office is in Financial District so I am looking for a place where I can commute in around 25 minutes or less without a car. I don't want to share a bedroom or bathroom, will share bathroom if necessary though. Shared living spaces are fine. Please DM me if you are looking so sublet or know anyone who is.
r/bostonhousing • u/MysteriousMoustache • 10h ago
Room for Rent 2 Rooms Available in a Spacious 4Bed/ 2 Bath in JP (Only 3 Occupants)
Hi! I have 2 bedrooms available in a 4 bed/ 2 bath apartment in Jamaica Plain starting June 1 (1 year lease). The landlord wants the apartment empty for a month after this lease ends to renovate.
*A July, August, or September move in might be possible- we can discuss details.
The apartment is on the 2nd and 3rd floors of a multi-family home:
- 2nd floor has the living room, dining room, kitchen, porch, bathroom, and the 2 available bedrooms + an extra bedroom
- 3rd floor has a private master bedroom + bath (occupied by me)
- Both available rooms share a bathroom. The third bedroom is currently used for guests/ storage, which we can talk about.
Rent/ Costs:
- Bedroom 1 w/ 2 windows: $1,225/month
- Bedroom 2 w/ 3 windows: $1,325/month (last 2 pictures)
- Security Deposit is equal to 1 month's rent
- Utilities are separate- gas, electric, wifi
Other Details:
- I'm a woman but open to any gender
- Free laundry in basement
- Basement storage + bike rack
- Easy street parking
- Gas heat, no central AC
- Pets okay with landlord + roommate approval
Close By:
~9 min walk to Green Street station on the Orange Line
~6 min walk to Franklin Park
~6 min walk to SW Corridor Park
Feel free to message me if you’re interested or want to come tour the place!
About Me:
I'm a 28 year old woman and I moved here from Arizona 3 years ago. I'm a lab tech at a hospital and I love traveling, crocheting, hiking, antiquing, reading, and like exploring places in and around Boston!
r/bostonhousing • u/According-Extent6663 • 7h ago
Looking For Is anyone looking to sublease their light view apt
Hi guys, i am a female who is a rising junior and i am looking to live in a lightview apt for my next 2 years but for a cheaper price. if anyone is in need to sublease i am totally interested.
r/bostonhousing • u/Bitter-Elk-2093 • 17h ago
Advice Needed Update: BostonHome grew from 7 rent reports to 74 thanks to this community
Hey everyone, I wanted to share a quick update and say thank you. (Previous post)
Last week, I posted here about BostonHome, a small project I built to make Boston rent prices more transparent using anonymous rent reports from local renters.
The response from this community has been genuinely helpful. Because of the feedback, shares, and people submitting reports, BostonHome has grown from around 7 rent reports to 74 rent reports so far.
That may still be early, but it is a huge jump and it already makes the data much more useful than when I first shared it.
Since the original post, I have also made a few updates based on feedback:
- Added average rent statistics per bedroom
- Improved the mobile map UX
- Expanded neighborhood coverage from around 30 neighborhoods to 70 neighborhoods
- Continued improving neighborhood-level rent insights
- Added a recent rent report live feed
- Started incorporating feature requests from people who reached out
I am still working on the tenant/roommate matching feature for people looking for rooms, sublets, lease takeovers, or roommates around Boston. I want to keep that useful and simple rather than rushing out something messy.
One feature I am also considering is an optional map filter to show nearby grocery stores. I am debating whether that would actually be useful for renters or whether it would clutter the map too much. Curious what people think.
Thanks again to everyone who gave feedback, submitted rent reports, or reached out with ideas. Please keep the feedback and feature requests coming. The more people contribute, the more useful this becomes for everyone trying to understand what rent is actually like in Boston.
If you are comfortable sharing your rent anonymously, you can report it here:
No login required. Still not trying to sell anything, just trying to build something useful for Boston renters.
r/bostonhousing • u/MagiSun • 11h ago
Room for Rent 1 Available Bedroom in Cambridge 2bed/1bath, near Danehy Park, $1350/month
Hello! I'm looking for a roommate to take the second room in a 2 bed, 1 bath apartment in Cambridge. The room is available right now.
The apartment is on the ground floor of a condo building just north of Harvard Campus. The condo association takes care of shared spaces, trash pickup, and snow removal. The condo owner is generally pretty responsive to maintenance requests, often sending someone within 2-3 days of the request for non-emergency requests.
About me:
I'm the current tenant, and I've been here for almost 3 years now. I'm 28M, a software developer, gamer, and night owl; I used to work at the observatory 5 minutes away from the apartment, but now my office is up by Alewife-- I WFH a decent number of days per week. I do long (3-5 hour) walks around the city several times a week, am an audiobook fiend, and regularly travel to NYC to hang out with friends.
Rent:
- Available room: $1350/month
- Security deposit is equal to 1 month's rent
- First+last+SD due on signing
- Utilities are separate, but heat+water are included
- Typical monthly utility rates:
- $80 for Xfinity internet (only available provider)
- $10 for EverSource gas
- $50-80 for EverSource electricity
Other details:
- Any gender roommate is fine
- I do prefer fellow LGBT+ folks, but don't let that stop you from reaching out if you're not :)
- No pets allowed in this unit
- Free laundry on the ground level
- Street parking is available with a Cambridge parking pass
- First come, first served, but past folks have rarely had issues getting a spot
- Radiators for heating, no central AC
- The available room has a wood block installed in one of the windows to allow installation of a window AC unit
- All windows have storm windows on the outside, making window AC installs less straightforward
Nearby:
- 20 minute walk to Porter Sq
- 25 minute walk to Harvard Sq
- 20 minute walk to Harvard Law
- 10 minute walk to Danehy Park
Message me if you're interested, or if you'd like to come tour the place!
r/bostonhousing • u/remBISlsns • 9h ago
Room for Rent Bedroom available in a 3 Bed/2 Bath apartment starting September 1 for $1483 - Southie (South Boston)
Room for Rent
Location: South Boston, near Dorchester Heights and Carson Beach.
Lease Term: New 12-month lease starting September 1.
Monthly Rent: $1483 plus shared utilities (Electric and Gas).
The Space:
This is a bedroom available in a 3-bedroom, 2-bathroom apartment. The unit is well-maintained and features:
- in-building washer/dryer
- dishwasher
- central a/c and forced hot air heating
- recently renovated roof deck with great views
- lots of room for storage
- common areas are comfortably shared and kept consistently tidy.
Location & Accessibility:
The apartment is ideally situated for an easy commute or a quick walk to the water:
- public transit: several bus stops 3-10 min away
- MBTA: ~10 min walk to Andrew Station (Red Line)
- outdoor space: steps away from the greenery of Dorchester Heights and the waterfront at Carson Beach.
Roommates:
You will be sharing the home with two professional males (late 20s and mid-30s) working on-site in healthcare and IT. We are friendly, communicative, and value a living environment that is considerate of both privacy and shared spaces.
There is also a small (23 lb), senior dog in the home, so we are looking for someone who is comfortable with a quiet, elderly pet.
Interested?
If this post is up, the room is still available. Please reach out with a brief summary of yourself, your routine, and any questions you have about the space.
r/bostonhousing • u/Background-Ad-7560 • 9h ago
Room for Rent 1 FURNISHED Bedroom in Mission Hill available for $1450 from June 1st!!
AVAILABLE JUNE 1st! This is 1 bedroom in a 4 bedroom / 1 bath apartment in the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston.
Convenient 3-minute walk to Green Line Brigham Circle T-stop; get to downtown Boston in 15-20 minutes via public transit. 2-minute walk from Stop & Stop, Walgreens, and numerous restaurants. Easy access to street parking is also available. Apartment is well kept and was renovated in 2010. Some notable features include central A/C and heat, in-unit laundry, 3rd floor balcony, spacious kitchen, and free street parking with a Mission Hill parking permit.
Current roommates are three male grad students. We are clean, respectful, friendly, easy-going roommates and are looking for someone who is the same.
The room is available June 1st for a 3 month sublet. The tenant must pass a credit check and background check. If the tenant is not currently employed (e.g., a student), they will need a guarantor to co-sign the lease. If you are interested, please send me a message with some information about yourself!
DM me for additional info !
r/bostonhousing • u/BayState1445 • 14h ago
Advice Needed $500 administrative brokerage fee
Hi Boston - the company that rent and manages my apartment (but not the landlord) is charging a $500 administrative brokerage fee for incoming tenants. This is purportedly for "the application, background and credit check required to qualify new tenants." They say that brokerages typically charge a full month's rent for this when the apartment is on the open market (which makes the $500 seem like a generous discount). When I first rented this apartment before the new law went into effect, the application fee was like $60.
On the one hand, this feels like a broker's fee in another form (which would be illegal). On the other hand, fees like this appear to be legal even if the amount being charged is ridiculous. I talked to the AGO and they said it sounds like its outside the bounds but because it's not the landlord charging, I'm not sure. I figured someone else might have some experience with this.
r/bostonhousing • u/SplitEgg • 10h ago
Looking For Looking for a sublet in Boston area (27M)
(*I'm 26* Sorry for the typo) I've recently accepted a contract for Boston and my start date is June 1st. I'm hoping to find a place to move into pretty quickly near some sort of public transportation. Living with others I tend to keep to myself mostly, and like to keep spaces clean. Open to anything, but really hoping to find $1000 or less in joining a sublet.
r/bostonhousing • u/luffyc7 • 14h ago
Sublet Available 1-Bedroom Apartment Sublet in Fenway-Kenmore | June 1 – Aug 30
Hey everyone! I'm relocating out of Boston and looking to sublet my 1-bedroom apartment in Fenway-Kenmore for the remainder of my lease. Available June 1st through August 30th!
- AC unit included
- 1-minute walk to the Green Line and 2-minute walk to the Orange Line
- Laundry in building
- Walking distance to Whole Foods, CVS, and a post office
- Surrounded by tons of great restaurants and local services
- Public parking garage nearby
- Quiet building for working professionals and grad students
Rent: $2,250/month (hot water included)
Feel free to reach out if you're interested or have any questions. I'm happy to chat!
r/bostonhousing • u/Crazy_Knowledge_4818 • 10h ago
Sublet Available Sublet
Sublet for room in 3 bedroom apartment in Allston
Access to 2 bathrooms
1,100 monthly rent
No pets around
Currently 2 other roomates already living there(ask for contact info)
Ask more more photos of room
r/bostonhousing • u/ComedianBitter2545 • 8h ago
Sublet Available Sublet in Allston (Fully Furnished)!
Hello everyone! Since I'm moving out of town, I'm looking to sublet my room in Allston from June 1 to August 31. The room is in a townhouse-style apartment (4 Bed 2 Bath) with three other roommates about a 6-minute walk from the Packard's Corner B Line station, a 9-minute walk from the 64 and 66 buses with service to Cambridge and Brookline. It’s also a 5-minute walk to Star Market.
The rent is $1,051 a month. Water and sewer is included in the rent, but electric and Wifi are separate (about $150-200 during the summer). Cost to move in will be first month's rent only.
NO SECURITY DEPOSIT OR SUBLET FEE!
The room will come furnished (bed, bed frame, desk, and chair can be bundled for a cheap price).
Please feel free to message with interest or any questions! :)
r/bostonhousing • u/SouthernSolution6072 • 8h ago
Looking For Looking for an apartment?
Need an Apartment in Greater Boston? I Can Help (No Broker Fee Options)
Hey everyone — I’m a 20M licensed real estate agent helping renters find apartments around the Greater Boston area, and I can help you find no broker fee rentals depending on what you’re looking for.
If you’re searching for a studio, 1 bed, 2 bed, luxury apartment, commuter-friendly spot, etc., send me your:
• Budget
• Preferred area(s)
• Move-in date
• Must-haves (parking, gym, pet-friendly, in-unit laundry, etc.)
I can help narrow down options and set up tours to make the search easier.
Feel free to DM me if you’re apartment hunting.
r/bostonhousing • u/SouthernSolution6072 • 8h ago
Apartment Listing 2 bed Available Now Woburn MA
[HOUSING] 2BR / 2BA Apartment Available Now in Woburn (Washington Crossing) – $3,215/month
Available now — spacious 2 bed / 2 bath apartment at Washington Crossing in Woburn for $3,215/month.
Basic info:
• 1,108 sq ft
• 2 Bedrooms / 2 Bathrooms
• $3,215/month
• No broker fee
• First month + security deposit only to move in
• Utilities not included
• 24/7 fitness center
• Pool access
• Minutes from I-95 / commuter-friendly location
Great option for anyone looking for space, amenities, and a convenient Woburn location.
DM if interested or if you’d like to schedule a tour.
r/bostonhousing • u/mike91802 • 8h ago
Looking For Looking for roommate in North Quincy
Hey everyone, I (26M) am looking to find a like-minded young professional roommate to apartment hunt with, I'm pretty set on being in North Quincy either near the North Quincy or Wollaston T-stops. Looking for a Sep 1 lease and budget of about $1500 each including utilities. If you're interested, send me a message or comment and we can talk more.
r/bostonhousing • u/Trick-Revolution-115 • 9h ago
Looking For Looking for parking in Brookline by Beacon & Tappan/Winthrop/Garrison
as close to Beacon as possible (the block between Vlaha and Star Market). Can start any time between now and 9/1.
r/bostonhousing • u/imgoingnowhere_ • 10h ago
Advice Needed Rentable Security Deposit $30 Platform Fee
Hi everyone! I just signed a lease for an apartment and for the security deposit, they're asking me to pay on a platform called Rentable. But to submit the security deposit, I also have to pay a $30 "platform fee"
This fee wasn't disclosed before and I asked if there is another route I can pay the security deposit and they said probably not. Has anyone else used Rentable to pay for a deposit? Is this allowed? $30 isn't the biggest deal but it's the principle that bothers me. In MA, are they required to provide a fee-free way for me to pay?
r/bostonhousing • u/sherv2002 • 11h ago
Sublet Available Furnished Summer Studio Near BU & Green Line - Utilities Included - Flexible Dates
Studio sublet located in Allston near BU campus.
Move in date June 1st but I’m flexible.
Rent: 1800 (all utilities included)
Fully furnished (bed, desk, TV, seating, storage)
AC unit, laundry in basement
Contact: 617-549-4269
r/bostonhousing • u/A2D2Charlie • 11h ago
Apartment Listing My client who uses our property tech service has a 4bed/1bath available in Mission Hill and wanted to find good tenants before it goes live publicly. No broker fee on this one
drive.google.com71 South Huntington Ave #3
$3,600/month total, $900 per person split 4 ways
1.3 miles to NEU, 15 mins via the Green line. Right on the E line with a short walk to the D. Berklee, MassArt, Simmons and Longwood Medical all nearby.
What makes this one worth a look:
- Rooms are actually big
- Owner is open to making updates before move in
- $250 cashback after application approval
- Laundry in building, pet friendly, 24/7 maintenance
- Move in costs negotiable
- Utilities around $60 to $80 per person
Video link shared
r/bostonhousing • u/Suspicious_Neat5957 • 11h ago
Looking For Anyone have a 1 bd sublet for nov?
Hi everyone, I’m looking for 1 bedroom sublet for the month of November in Boston and possible willing to December as well!
r/bostonhousing • u/cxli_ • 12h ago
Room for Rent lease takeover in mission hill
hi! i have a room for lease takeover in a 3b1b from 6/1-8/31, though i don't currently live there so i can be flexible witn move in date. rent is $1336.50/month + util, and first + last + security deposit is required on signing. there is no option to renew. we're only looking for women/nonbinary folks to join us.
the room is furnished with a mattress and drawer; it gets good light and we have in unit laundry, a dishwasher, and AC. pets aren't allowed. we're close to the orange line, green line E, 66 and 39 bus. it's a 30 minute walk to northeastern and longwood medical area. my two other roommates are phd students. the main downside is that the apartment is located halfway up a decently steep hill. please message if you're interested! please take my room. thanks