If you are under the age of 18, a landlord may not be able to enforce a rent agreement against you, even if you misrepresented your age.55 However, you will probably be responsible for paying a reasonable amount of rent for your use of an apartment.56
A landlord who refuses to rent to you solely because of your age may be illegally discriminating against you (see Chapter 7: Discrimination).57
Endnotes
55 . Knudson v. General Motorcycle Co., 230 Mass. 54, 55 (1918); Slayton v. Barry, 175 Mass. 513, 515 (1908). The age of majority was lowered from 21 to 18 in 1973. G.L. c. 4, §7 (para. 51).
56 . G.L. c. 186, §10; Gorin v. McGann, 26 Mass. App. Dec. 150 (1963).
57 . For more on the legal rights of minors, see Abrashkin & Bowen, "The Legal Rights of Minors: Rental Housing in Massachusetts" (1984) and Massachusetts Office for Children, Advocacy Division Legal Office, "The Legal Rights of Adolescents" (1988).
Produced by Pattie Whiting Created July 2008
