Just cause eviction rules in Plymouth County, MA — sometimes called tenant protection or "for cause" eviction ordinances — list the specific legal reasons a landlord can end a tenancy.
Massachusetts has no statewide just-cause eviction law, and no Plymouth County town can add one. A landlord ends a tenancy at will with 30 days' written notice, or 14 days for nonpayment of rent, then files summary process under MGL c.239 §1.
No statute forces a landlord to prove cause before ending a tenancy. For a tenancy at will, Chapter 186 §12 requires notice equal to one rent interval or 30 days, whichever is longer; nonpayment cuts that to 14 days. After the notice expires, the landlord files summary process under Chapter 239 §1 and must win a court judgment before a constable removes anyone. Towns cannot impose just cause, relocation payments, or a good-cause defense. A tenant's real protection is the process itself — proper written notice, a hearing in the Housing or District Court, and a judgment before any lawful eviction.
A landlord who skips the required notice or forces a tenant out without a court judgment can have the case dismissed and faces treble damages under Chapter 186 §14 for an illegal lockout.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
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