1. Governing state primary law.
Boston tenants are governed by Massachusetts state primary law for both core claim types covered by this prototype:
- Security deposits: Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 186 § 15B (1-month cap, 30-day return window, separate interest-bearing account, treble damages on wrongful retention).
- Implied warranty of habitability + State Sanitary Code: 105 CMR 410.000 (Minimum Standards of Fitness for Human Habitation), enforced concurrently by state and local boards of health.
Boston cannot adopt deposit terms inconsistent with § 15B; the Sanitary Code is enforceable directly under 105 CMR 410.830 by inspection request.