Skip to main content
DRAFT FOR ATTORNEY REVIEW — NOT FINAL

Clegg v. Vaughan, 7 Mass. L. Rptr. 134 (1997)

Citation
Clegg v. Vaughan, 7 Mass. L. Rptr. 134 (1997)
Parent Document
Clegg v. Vaughan, 7 Mass. L. Rptr. 134 (1997)
Jurisdiction
Massachusetts (state)
Effective Date
1997-06-27

Full Text

1,027 chars
It is well established that the measure of damages for a breach of the implied warranty of habitability is the difference between the value of the premises as warranted and the rental value of the premises in its defective condition. Boston Housing Authority v. Hemingway, 363 Mass. 184, 203 (1973); McKenna v. Begin, 5 Mass.App.Ct. 304, 305 (1977); Cruz Management Co. v. Wideman, 417 Mass. 771, 775 (1994). This measure of damages is purely compensatory and is neither a windfall to the tenant nor an award of punitive damages. Cruz Management Co. v. Wideman, supra at 775. The contract rent is some evidence of the rental value of the premises as warranted, but is not definitive. McKenna v. Begin, supra at 306; Cruz Management Co. v. Wideman, supra at 776. In determining the rental value of defective premises, factors to be considered include the nature, duration and seriousness of the defects, and whether they might endanger or impair the health, safety or well-being of the occupants. McKenna v. Begin, supra at 306.