File with your local Registry of Deeds. Personal checks should be made payable to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.The Declaration of Homestead form must be filed within six months of establishing residence in your home. For Fiscal Year 2025 you have until April 1, 2025, to file an application. You will need a notary to witness you signing the form. If you owned and occupied the property as of January 1, 2024, complete the Fiscal Year 2025 application (PDF). Deadline April 1, 2025. This web page has been designed to answer some of the basic questions asked pertaining to the Massachusetts Homestead Act. Be sure the form is filled out completely and has been properly notarized, and remember to enclose a check for the proper recording fee with the Homestead form. Residential Exemption applications are mailed every July to everyone who purchased a home in the preceding calendar year.
