[peter brennan]

I put a deposit down on a cottage with a real estate agent .I tried to cancel 6 weeks before my vacation but was told I would only get my deposit back unless myself or the real estate agent found another person to rent those 2 weeks .my lease does not have a cancellation clause in it .my fault for not reading it fully . My question is , under Massachusetts law, does the real estate agent have the right to do this? Is 6 weeks sufficient time to cancel ? Thanks pete

[RickJ]

For short term leases like cottages, cabins, etc. Landlord-Tenant Law does not apply.

Did you sign anything when you paid the deposit? If so, does it not address the issue?

I'm sorry to say that I am guessing in advance that you're out of luck on that deposit.

[valinors_sorrow]

Deposits in circumstances such as these are often specifically designed so you don't do exactly what you are doing or if you do, there is some $$ compensation for the owner since they may have passed up another renter in the time you essentially "took it off the market" - never mind if it was only five minutes. But you are ahead of the game since you already know the lesson: read before signing in the future.

I have learned lessons like that too, Pete. :o

PS - If you want to really get complicated about it, there is always something called vacation insurance, I presume to take care of these sorts of contigencies??