Landlord guide, Massachusetts (MA)
Massachusetts eviction process: the landlord’s steps from notice to removal
The eviction process in Massachusetts starts with the 14-day notice to quit: 14 calendar days for unpaid rent (Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, §§ 11, 12, 31). Then the landlord files in the Housing Court or District Court, where the case is called summary process; the court hears it, and after judgment a court officer carries out the removal.
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- Notice for unpaid rent
- 14 calendar days
- Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, §§ 11, 12, 31
- Court
- Housing Court or District Court
- Mass. Gen. Laws c. 239, §§ 3, 5; Uniform Summary Process Rules 2, 3, 13
- Time to appeal
- 10 days
- Mass. Gen. Laws c. 239, §§ 3, 5; Uniform Summary Process Rules 2, 3, 13
- Checked against the statutes
- 1 November 2026
Step by step
The eviction process Massachusetts landlords follow, step by step
Notice and court names are given as they read on Massachusetts’s own forms, and timing details are quoted from the statute.
- 1
Step 1
Serve the notice
Unpaid rent: the 14-day notice to quit, 14 calendar days (Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, §§ 11, 12, 31).
Paying everything owed inside the period ends the case, by statute.
Another breach of the lease: the notice to quit, with no fixed period in the statute (Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, § 12).
No reason, month to month: 30 days’ notice (M.G.L. c. 186, § 12).
What the statute adds, in English
A tenant at will who has not had a similar notice in the past 12 months can stop it by paying within 10 days of receipt, or up to the answer date if the notice omits that right. A tenant under a lease can stop it by paying all rent due with interest and costs by the answer date, and the notice must come with the state's accompanying form.
- 2
Step 2
File the eviction in court
File in the Housing Court or District Court, where the case is called summary process (Mass. Gen. Laws c. 239, §§ 3, 5; Uniform Summary Process Rules 2, 3, 13).
- 3
Step 3
Go to the hearing
In the statute, in English
trial on the second Thursday after the Monday entry date, answer due the first Monday after entry (Uniform Summary Process Rules 2 and 3)
- 4
Step 4
Judgment and appeal
If the court rules for you, the tenant has 10 days to appeal.
- 5
Step 5
Removal by a court officer
An officer of the court carries out the removal, on the court’s order.
In the statute, in English
execution may not issue until the 10-day appeal period ends, and the officer must give 48 hours' written notice before removal
Massachusetts eviction process timeline
- Notice before filing
- 14 calendar days
- Time to answer
- Not confirmed
- Hearing
- Quoted in step 3
- Time to appeal
- 10 days
- Removal
- Quoted in step 5
Only some steps have a number in the statute, so no honest total exists: after filing, the court sets the pace.
Can you change the locks yourself?
No. Massachusetts bans self-help eviction (Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, § 14; c. 184, § 18), so only the court process can remove a tenant.
A landlord who cuts utilities or retakes the unit without court process owes actual damages or three months' rent, whichever is greater, plus fees.
The court process is the safe course in every state.
Write the Massachusetts eviction notice
Fill in the notice for Massachusetts in the generator, then read the rest of the state’s landlord law before you serve it.
Where Dardaris comes in
Most evictions start as one late payment. Dardaris sees it on day one.
It notices the missed rent the day it is due, sends the tenant a reminder, and if nothing comes, drafts the Massachusetts notice with its 14 calendar days. You read it and sign; nothing goes out without you.
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Dardaris
The statutes
Massachusetts eviction laws, with the statute behind each step
| Step | What the law says | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Notice for unpaid rent | 14-day notice to quit14 calendar daysPaying in full within the period stops itA tenant at will who has not had a similar notice in the past 12 months can stop it by paying within 10 days of receipt, or up to the answer date if the notice omits that right. A tenant under a lease can stop it by paying all rent due with interest and costs by the answer date, and the notice must come with the state's accompanying form. | Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, §§ 11, 12, 31 |
| Notice for a lease breach | notice to quitNo fixed periodNo statute sets a shorter notice for a breach. A tenancy at will ends on notice of one full rental period or 30 days, whichever is longer, and a lease's own terms govern termination for breach. | Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, § 12 |
| Notice to end a month-to-month tenancy | 30 daysWritten notice of at least one rental period or 30 days, whichever is longer, ending on a rent day. | M.G.L. c. 186, § 12 |
| How a notice is served | any method that puts the notice in the tenant's hands, the tenant must actually receive it | Not confirmed from the statute |
| Court and action | Housing Court or District Courtsummary process | Mass. Gen. Laws c. 239, §§ 3, 5; Uniform Summary Process Rules 2, 3, 13 |
| Time to answer | Not confirmed from the statute | Not confirmed from the statute |
| Hearing | trial on the second Thursday after the Monday entry date, answer due the first Monday after entry (Uniform Summary Process Rules 2 and 3) | Mass. Gen. Laws c. 239, §§ 3, 5; Uniform Summary Process Rules 2, 3, 13 |
| Time to appeal | 10 days | Mass. Gen. Laws c. 239, §§ 3, 5; Uniform Summary Process Rules 2, 3, 13 |
| Removal | execution may not issue until the 10-day appeal period ends, and the officer must give 48 hours' written notice before removal | Mass. Gen. Laws c. 239, §§ 3, 5; Uniform Summary Process Rules 2, 3, 13 |
| Self-help (lockouts, utilities) | BannedA landlord who cuts utilities or retakes the unit without court process owes actual damages or three months' rent, whichever is greater, plus fees. | Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, § 14; c. 184, § 18 |
Read against the official texts below on 1 November 2026. The month-to-month period was checked on 29 September 2026.
- https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartII/TitleI/Chapter186/Section11
- https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartII/TitleI/Chapter186/Section12
- https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartII/TitleI/Chapter186/Section14
- https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/Partiii/Titleiii/Chapter239/Section5
- https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartIII/TitleIII/Chapter239/Section3
- https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleVII/Chapter40p/Section4
- https://www.mass.gov/trial-court-rules/uniform-summary-process-rule-2-form-of-summons-and-complaint-entry-of-action-scheduling-of-trial-date-service-of-process
- https://www.mass.gov/trial-court-rules/uniform-summary-process-rule-3-answer
- https://www.mass.gov/info-details/notice-to-quit-accompanying-form
- https://www.mass.gov/info-details/tenant-rights
- https://www.mass.gov/info-details/massachusetts-law-about-tenants-security-deposits
- https://www.mass.gov/info-details/mandatory-statement-of-condition
- https://www.mass.gov/guides/the-attorney-generals-guide-to-landlord-and-tenant-rights
- https://www.mass.gov/info-details/tenant-lead-law-notification
Questions landlords ask about eviction in Massachusetts
How long does an eviction take in Massachusetts?
The notice for unpaid rent runs 14 calendar days before you can file. After that the court sets the pace, so there is no honest total: the hearing, the judgment and the removal follow the court’s calendar and the timing rules quoted on this page.
What notice does a Massachusetts landlord serve for unpaid rent?
The 14-day notice to quit, which gives the tenant 14 calendar days (Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, §§ 11, 12, 31). Paying everything owed inside the period ends the case, by statute.
Can a landlord change the locks in Massachusetts?
No. Massachusetts bans self-help eviction (Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, § 14; c. 184, § 18), so only the court process can remove a tenant. The exact limits are quoted on this page.
Where is an eviction filed in Massachusetts?
In the Housing Court or District Court, where the case is called summary process (Mass. Gen. Laws c. 239, §§ 3, 5; Uniform Summary Process Rules 2, 3, 13).
How does a landlord end a month-to-month tenancy in Massachusetts?
With 30 days’ notice (M.G.L. c. 186, § 12). If the tenant stays on after that, the eviction process on this page applies.
Can the tenant appeal an eviction in Massachusetts?
Yes. The tenant has 10 days after the judgment to appeal.
The eviction process in other states
- Kentucky: 7 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Louisiana: 5 business days for unpaid rent
- Maine: 7 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Maryland: 10 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Michigan: 7 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Minnesota: 14 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Mississippi: 3 calendar days for unpaid rent
- Missouri: no notice before filing
General information, not legal adviceEviction law changes, and a court can read a statute differently from this summary. Check the current text and your local court’s rules, or ask a lawyer licensed in the state, before you serve a notice or file.
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