What you need in Arlington
Checked November 7, 2026 against Arlington's own pages. "Not published" means the page does not say; call the office.
Municipal lien certificate
Cost$50Lead time10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays- Issued by
- Treasurer and Collector, 730 Massachusetts Ave (P.O. Box 210)
- How to order
- Request form by mail with a stamped return envelope; 781-316-3030
Smoke and CO certificate
Cost$50 one-family, $80 two-family (schedule dated June 23, 2016)Lead timeHome-sale inspections Mon to Fri, 1 to 4 pm- Issued by
- Fire Prevention Division
- How to order
- Online scheduler for 1 and 2 family homes and condos; 781-316-3800
Final water and sewer bill
Cost$15, added to the billLead timeRequest 7 business days before you need it; bills made Tue to Thu only- Issued by
- Water and Sewer Division, 51 Grove St
- How to order
- Policy and form, emailed with a photo of the meter; 781-316-3102
Title 5
CostSeptic homes onlyLead timeNot published- Issued by
- Not published
- How to order
- Not published; Town Hall switchboard 781-316-3000
What to order when in Arlington
Before you list
Know your house
- Septic or town sewer? If septic, book a Title 5 inspector first. The inspection must be at or within 2 years before the sale.
- Built before 1978? Get the lead paint notice ready.
Before the P&S is signed
Give the notices
- Hand the buyer the state lead paint notice for a pre-1978 house. Separately, the federal rule gives the buyer a 10-day period to inspect for lead before being bound.
- Complete the seller disclosure with your attorney.
The day the P&S is signed
Book the inspection
- Book the smoke and CO inspection and replace old alarms first. The certificate is valid for 60 days.
- Your attorney orders the municipal lien certificate: 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
Weeks before closing
Order the water read
- Request the final water read on the town's schedule (the table above has it).
Closing week
Hand over the papers
- Confirm the smoke and CO certificate is still inside its 60 days, and send the final water bill to your attorney.
Municipal lien certificate: Treasurer and Collector
The Treasurer/Collector's request form (dated October 2024) says to return it with a fee of $50 and a self-addressed stamped envelope to the Office of the Treasurer & Collector of Taxes, Post Office Box 210, 730 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA 02476. The office phone is 781-316-3030. The form and the office page give no turnaround of their own; the state limit is 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, after a written application (MGL c.60 s.23). Your closing attorney normally orders it. See our lien certificate guide.
Smoke and CO certificate: Fire Prevention Division
The Fire Department's smoke and CO page says to use the online scheduler for 1 and 2 family homes and condos. For a property of three families or more, a renovation or new construction, contact Deputy Chief Ryan Melly directly at 781-316-3803. The fee schedule lists $50 for a 1 family dwelling and $80 for a 2 family dwelling, and says home-sale inspections are Monday to Friday, 1 to 4 pm, by calling 781-316-3800. That page is headed "as of June 23, 2016", so confirm the fee when you book. Both amounts are under the state cap (MGL c.148 s.10A). The state's inspection checklist shows what the inspector looks for.
Final water and sewer bill: you read the meter
Arlington does not send a technician. The policy and request form say the owner or their representative emails the completed Final Water/Sewer Bill Request Form, with the current meter reading and a picture of the meter (usually in the basement), to DPWFinalWaterBill@town.arlington.ma.us. Do it at least 7 business days before you need the bill for closing. Business days are Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm, and a request received after noon counts as the next business day.
The processing fee is $15, added to the bill. Final bills are made only on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, and the town says last-minute requests cannot be accommodated. A meter that is not working has to be replaced before a final bill can be issued. If the closing is postponed, tell the department right away: a new request and a new $15 fee apply. The town does not issue bills for lease-back or use-and-occupancy agreements between buyer and seller, so if you plan to stay after closing, settle the water account with your attorney first.
The bill can be settled at closing with a certified check or the closing attorney's check, or paid at the Tax Collector's office. The policy says no credit cards, and that an unpaid balance becomes the new owner's responsibility. Questions: 781-316-3102.
Septic or town sewer (Title 5)
Title 5 is the state septic inspection. It applies only to a house with its own septic system or cesspool (310 CMR 15.301); a house on the town sewer does not need one. We did not find a page on the Arlington site that lists which streets are on septic. Ask the Health Department, the Water and Sewer Division at 781-316-3102, or your closing attorney. If the house does have septic, read the Title 5 guide before you set a closing date, because a failed system changes your price and your options.
Lead paint notice
If the house was built before 1978, you give the buyer the state's Property Transfer Lead Paint Notification before the purchase and sale agreement is signed, and the buyer signs the certification. Deleading itself is only required when a child under 6 lives in the home. See the lead paint guide and what deleading costs.
State rules that set your dates in Arlington
These come from state and federal law, so they are the same in every town.
- Smoke and CO certificate: valid 60 days. The state form (FP-007C) says a certificate issued under MGL c.148 ss.26F and 26F1/2 expires 60 days after the fire department issues it. If your closing slips past that, you need a second inspection.
- Municipal lien certificate: 10 days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. That is how long the collector has after a written application (MGL c.60 s.23). Final water read lead times are set by each town, not by this rule.
- Title 5 (septic houses only): inspect within 2 years before the sale. An inspection up to 3 years old counts if pumping records show the system was pumped at least once a year. If weather prevents an inspection, it can be done as soon as the weather permits and no later than 6 months after the transfer, as long as the seller tells the buyer in writing. The buyer gets a copy of the report (310 CMR 15.301(1)).
- Lead paint, houses built before 1978: the buyer's 10-day right to inspect. Before the buyer is bound by the contract, the seller must allow a 10-day period, or another period both sides agree to in writing, for a lead paint inspection or risk assessment. The buyer can waive it in writing (40 CFR 745.110, a federal rule). Ask your attorney how your purchase and sale agreement handles it.
Order it in this sequence in Arlington
- Before you list: confirm sewer or septic with the Health Department. If it is septic, schedule Title 5 first.
- If the house was built before 1978, prepare the lead notice for the buyer.
- The day the P&S is signed: book the smoke and CO inspection on the online scheduler (Deputy Chief Melly, 781-316-3803, for three units or more).
- Mail the lien certificate request with the $50 fee and a stamped envelope, or have your attorney do it.
- At least 7 business days before closing: read and photograph the meter and email the final bill form ($15). Plan any rent-back around the no-bill rule.
Print the one-page Arlington checklist: PDF or image. It repeats the offices, fees and phone numbers on this page and leaves room for your closing date.
