Moving off-campus comes with a lot of legal fine print, but Boston offers strong protections for tenants. First, thanks to a major shift in the Massachusetts rental market that took effect on August 1, 2025, the financial burden of a real estate broker’s fee must now be paid by the party who hired them. This means if your landlord hired the broker to list the apartment, the landlord is legally required to pay the fee, which drastically lowers your upfront move-in costs. Be aware that Boston also enforces a strict zoning ordinance prohibiting more than four full-time undergraduate students from living together in a single apartment, so ensure your lease reflects your actual living situation. Finally, winter comes fast in New England, and the Massachusetts heating season officially runs from September 15 through June 15. During this period, your landlord is legally required to ensure your apartment’s heating system can maintain a minimum temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit during the day (7 a.m. to 11 p.m.) and 64 degrees overnight.