Cal. Civ. Code § 6
Survival of action
Operative Text
Section 6. Such action may be brought by or against executors and administrators for any arrears of rent accrued in the lifetime of the deceased parties, respectively, in the same manner as for debts due from or to the same parties in their lifetime on a personal contract.
Under Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, Section 6, a claim for unpaid rent that built up before a party's death does not automatically disappear when that party dies. The right to pursue—or the obligation to answer for—those rent arrears passes to the deceased person's estate, represented by an executor or administrator. This means a landlord's estate can still collect overdue rent, and a tenant's estate can still be held responsible for it, much like any other personal debt owed at the time of death.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, Section 6, operators who are owed rent at the time a tenant dies generally have the ability to bring a claim against the tenant's estate through the executor or administrator, treating the arrears similarly to other personal debts. Compliant property managers typically document rent ledgers carefully so that any accrued balance is clearly established and can be presented in an estate proceeding if necessary. Conversely, if a landlord dies while owed rent, the landlord's executor or administrator is generally empowered to pursue that same claim on behalf of the estate.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, Section 6 means that a tenant's estate may face a claim for rent that was unpaid before the tenant's death, and the executor or administrator of that estate would be the party responding to such a claim. If you are an executor, administrator, or heir dealing with a rent-related claim under this provision, tenant-rights organizations or a housing attorney can help clarify what defenses or offsets the estate may be able to raise. Conversely, if a landlord's estate is improperly pursuing amounts beyond what was actually owed before death, that distinction can be raised as part of the estate proceeding.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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