Free eviction notice Massachusetts landlords can use
Massachusetts eviction notice: a free template with the statute cited
In Massachusetts, a landlord owed rent serves a 14-day notice to quit: the tenant has 14 days to pay in full or move out, and paying in time stops the eviction (Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, §§ 11, 12, 31).
- Unpaid rent notice
- 14 days
- Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, §§ 11, 12, 31
- Lease violation notice
- No set period
- Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, § 12
- Paying in time
- Stops it
- Statutes read on
- November 1, 2026
Fill in the eviction notice template Massachusetts landlords serve
The notice a landlord serves before filing for unpaid rent.
The month or period the rent was for.
In Massachusetts, the 14-day notice to quit gives the tenant 14 days. Paying the full amount inside the period stops the eviction, by statute.
Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, §§ 11, 12, 31: 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.
Every field is optional; a blank one prints as a line to write on. The notice is in English, as it is served in the US.
For a landlord in the US. Nothing is stored and nothing is sent; the notice is built in this browser.
The rules
What a valid Massachusetts eviction notice must say
- 1Its name: 14-day notice to quit, the words Massachusetts law uses.
- 2The tenants’ names, every other occupant, and the address of the premises.
- 3The rent owed, the period it was for and the date it was due.
- 4The period: 14 days, counted from the day after it is delivered.
- 5That paying in full inside the period stops the eviction.
- 6The statute it is given under: Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, §§ 11, 12, 31.
- 7Your signature and the date, and a proof of service filled in once it is delivered.
What the statute says about unpaid rent
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. (Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, §§ 11, 12, 31)
What the statute says about a lease violation
No 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)
Delivery
How to serve an eviction notice in Massachusetts
The statute names these ways to deliver it (no statute confirmed). Fill in the proof of service on the notice the day you do it.
- any method that puts the notice in the tenant's hands, the tenant must actually receive it
After the notice
What happens next in Massachusetts
- Step 1
Fill in the notice
Name every tenant and the premises, and state the rent owed or the breach. The template sets the Massachusetts title and period.
- Step 2
Deliver it and record how
Use a method the statute names, and fill in the proof of service the same day.
- Step 3
Wait out the period
Give the tenant the full 14 days. A case filed early can be dismissed.
- Step 4
File in court if nothing changed
File a summary process in the Housing Court or District Court. Never change the locks or cut the utilities yourself.
- 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)
- Days to answer
- Not set by statute
- Removal
- execution may not issue until the 10-day appeal period ends, and the officer must give 48 hours' written notice before removal
- Days to appeal
- 10
Court procedure: Mass. Gen. Laws c. 239, §§ 3, 5; Uniform Summary Process Rules 2, 3, 13
The rest of the Massachusetts picture
What Dardaris does instead
Dardaris notices late rent on day one and drafts the Massachusetts notice for you to sign
It reads your bank account, sees the rent that did not arrive, and sends the tenant a friendly reminder that morning. If the rent stays unpaid, it drafts the notice with your state’s days and statute. Nothing goes out until you approve it.
Free for 14 days, cancel whenever · Nothing is switched on until you say so
Dardaris drafting a notice for unpaid rent and waiting for the owner
Dardaris
Rent for 88 Maple Street, Apt 2A has not arrived. I sent the reminder below this morning. If it stays unpaid, the Massachusetts 14-day notice to quit is drafted with its 14 days and waits for your signature.
LATE RENT NOTICE
Rent for 88 Maple Street, Apt 2A was due on the 1st and has not been received.
If it is already on its way, thank you. If something has changed, reply and we can agree a plan.
Every rule, with its statute
Massachusetts eviction notice rules and statutes
| Rule | Sets | Statute |
|---|---|---|
| Unpaid rent14-day notice to quit | 14 days | Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, §§ 11, 12, 31 |
| Lease violationnotice to quit | No set period | Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, § 12 |
| Service | 1 methods | no statute confirmed |
| Lockouts and utility shut-offs | Banned | Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, § 14; c. 184, § 18 |
Read from these official texts on November 1, 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
The questions that follow.
What goes in a {abbr} eviction notice template?
The name Massachusetts law gives it (14-day notice to quit), the tenants and the premises, the rent owed or the breach, the days the tenant has and how they are counted, the statute, your signature and a proof of service. The generator above puts each of them in.
Is there a free {state} eviction notice template?
Yes, this one: fill it in above and download it in Word or PDF. Nothing is stored and nothing is sent; it is built in your browser.
When does a {days}-day eviction notice {state} landlords serve run out?
Count 14 days from the day after it is delivered: delivered on November 1, 2026, it runs out at the end of November 15, 2026. Any extra days Massachusetts adds for mailing are in the statute’s note on this page.
Can I download a {days} day eviction notice {state} template as a PDF?
Yes. Choose PDF or Word above; the 14 days, the way they are counted and Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, §§ 11, 12, 31 are already in it.
Can the tenant stop the eviction by paying?
Yes. Paying the full rent owed within the 14 days stops it, by statute (Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, §§ 11, 12, 31).
How do I serve an eviction notice in {state}?
Massachusetts statute names these ways (no statute confirmed): any method that puts the notice in the tenant's hands, the tenant must actually receive it.
What happens after the notice runs out?
If the tenant is still there, you file a summary process in the Housing Court or District Court. Our guide to the Massachusetts eviction process walks through each step.
Can I change the locks instead?
No. Massachusetts bans lockouts and utility shut-offs (Mass. Gen. Laws c. 186, § 14; c. 184, § 18); only a court can order a tenant out.
Not legal adviceThis notice is filled in from Massachusetts statutes as read on November 1, 2026. A city or county can add requirements, a lease can give more time, and only a court decides whether a notice was valid. For a contested eviction, speak to a lawyer licensed in Massachusetts.
Late rent, seen on day one, and the notice already drafted
Dardaris reads the bank, sends the reminder, and drafts the notice with your state’s days and statute. You read it and sign.
Free for 14 days, cancel whenever · Nothing is switched on until you say so