No Access To Basement

[Lamar Nelson]

I was wondering if it is legal to prohibit access to the basement in Massachusetts. I've seen and heard a lot of owners putting that clause in the rental agreement. Also, in case the tenants wanted an answer as to why, what would be the legal reasoning behind having it.

[Sharlene Mulchandani]

@Lamar Nelson I know of some landlords that have a strict policy where they do not allow their tenants access to the basement. They have the basement locked with a keypad, where the password can be changed. If their tenants happen to need access to the basement for any emergencies, then the landlord provides them with the password and has it reset to a new password the next day.