Massachusetts Eviction Laws
Massachusetts notice periods for ending a tenancy and starting an eviction, each as LeaseCraft read it in the statute at the official source, with its citation and read date (most recently ).
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Massachusetts notice periods
Periods are as the statute states them: some are minimums, some apply unless the lease sets another. "Lease controls" means there is no statutory period; "No pre-suit notice" means none is required before filing.
| Situation | Notice period | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Unpaid rent | 14 days |
M.G.L. c.186 §11; c.186 §12; c.186 §31
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| Lease violation | Lease controls |
M.G.L. c.186 §§11–12 (no statutory comply-or-quit period)
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|
| Ending the tenancy without a chance to cure | No pre-suit notice |
M.G.L. c.139 §19
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|
| Ending a month-to-month tenancy | 30 days |
M.G.L. c.186 §12; c.186 §13
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| Tenant staying after the lease ends | Lease controls |
M.G.L. c.186 §13
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| Ending a week-to-week tenancy | 30 days |
M.G.L. c.186 §12; c.186 §13
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|
What the Massachusetts statute says
Unpaid rent 14 days
- Written lease (c.186 §11): 14 days' written notice to quit; tenant may cure by paying all rent due with interest and costs on or before the day the answer is due.
- Tenancy at will (c.186 §12): 14 days' written notice to quit; tenant who has not received a similar notice in the preceding 12 months may cure within 10 days after receipt.
- Notice to quit for nonpayment must be accompanied by the EOHLC form required by c.186 §31; court cannot accept the summary process filing without proof of delivery of the form.
Ending the tenancy without a chance to cure No pre-suit notice
- Premises used for prostitution, assignation, lewdness, illegal gaming, illegal keeping/sale of alcoholic beverages, illegal keeping/sale/manufacture of controlled substances, illegal keeping of a weapon (c.269 §10) or possession/use of an explosive or incendiary device.
- At the lessor's election such use annuls and makes void the lease; owner may seek a court order to vacate or use summary process (c.239).
Ending a month-to-month tenancy 30 days
- Written notice equal to the interval between rent-payment days or thirty days, whichever is longer (tenancy at will).
Ending a week-to-week tenancy 30 days
- Same rule: interval between rent days or 30 days, whichever is longer — so a week-to-week tenancy at will still requires 30 days.
Exceptions
- Rooming house with rent payable weekly or daily: possession action may be brought 7 days after written notice (c.186 §13 proviso).
Just cause, delivery, form and local rules in Massachusetts
How the notice may be delivered
No statutory service method for notices to quit; c.186 §12 runs the cure period from the tenant's 'receipt' of the notice and c.186 §31 requires 'proof of delivery' of the accompanying form, so landlords must be able to prove actual receipt (commonly constable/sheriff or in-hand delivery).
M.G.L. c.186 §12; c.186 §31 · read
Required form or contents
Mandatory: (1) a notice to quit for nonpayment must be accompanied by the EOHLC 'Notice to Quit Accompanying Form' (c.186 §31) stating 'THIS NOTICE TO QUIT IS NOT AN EVICTION' plus rental-assistance/court-rule information; court cannot accept the filing without proof of delivery; (2) tenancy-at-will nonpayment notice must include the §12 ten-day cure statement. https://www.mass.gov/info-details/notice-to-quit-attestation-form-and-submission-information
- Form available in English plus the 5 most common languages spoken in the commonwealth.
M.G.L. c.186 §31; c.186 §12 · read
Statewide just-cause rule
No statewide just-cause requirement
- No statewide just-cause statute located in c.186 or c.239; tenancy at will may be terminated without cause on the §12 notice.
M.G.L. c.186 §12 · read
For Massachusetts landlords
- Find the period for your situation in the table above and count it from the day the notice is delivered.
- Deliver the notice the way Massachusetts law allows and keep a record of how and when.
- A notice is not a court order and does not by itself remove a tenant.
For Massachusetts tenants
- Compare the notice you received with the period for its situation in the table above and the date it reached you.
- A notice is not a court order. If a case is filed, the court papers say how and by when to respond.
- Local legal aid and tenant organizations can explain your options.
How an eviction generally proceeds
A general outline, not Massachusetts law: the steps, their names and their deadlines differ by state and court. The Massachusetts rules LeaseCraft has verified are the ones above.
- Written notice. The landlord gives the notice the situation calls for and waits out its period.
- Court filing. If the tenant has not paid, cured or left, the landlord files an eviction case in court.
- Hearing. Both sides can be heard; the tenant may raise defenses such as an improper notice.
- Judgment. The court decides who has the right to the property.
- Removal. If the court rules for the landlord, removal follows its order. A notice is not a court order and does not by itself remove a tenant.
Massachusetts eviction questions
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14 days, under M.G.L. c.186 §11; c.186 §12; c.186 §31. Written lease (c.186 §11): 14 days' written notice to quit; tenant may cure by paying all rent due with interest and costs on or before the day the answer is due. LeaseCraft read this at the official source on 2026-09-27.
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LeaseCraft's record sets no statutory period for this, so the lease controls. Source: M.G.L. c.186 §§11–12 (no statutory comply-or-quit period). LeaseCraft read this at the official source on 2026-09-27.
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30 days, under M.G.L. c.186 §12; c.186 §13. Written notice equal to the interval between rent-payment days or thirty days, whichever is longer (tenancy at will). LeaseCraft read this at the official source on 2026-09-27.
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No statutory service method for notices to quit; c.186 §12 runs the cure period from the tenant's 'receipt' of the notice and c.186 §31 requires 'proof of delivery' of the accompanying form, so landlords must be able to prove actual receipt (commonly constable/sheriff or in-hand delivery). Source: M.G.L. c.186 §12; c.186 §31. LeaseCraft read this at the official source on 2026-09-27.
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No statewide just-cause requirement, under M.G.L. c.186 §12. No statewide just-cause statute located in c.186 or c.239; tenancy at will may be terminated without cause on the §12 notice. LeaseCraft read this at the official source on 2026-09-27.
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30 days, under M.G.L. c.186 §12; c.186 §13. Same rule: interval between rent days or 30 days, whichever is longer — so a week-to-week tenancy at will still requires 30 days. LeaseCraft read this at the official source on 2026-09-27.
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Cities and counties can add rules. LeaseCraft is not a law firm and this is not legal advice.