Just cause eviction rules in Suffolk County, MA — sometimes called tenant protection or "for cause" eviction ordinances — list the specific legal reasons a landlord can end a tenancy.
MA does not have a statewide just-cause eviction law. Evictions in Suffolk County follow MGL c. 239 summary process. Boston's CORI and Source of Income protections and the statewide eviction record sealing law (HOMES Act 2024) provide tenant protections. No-cause termination of a tenancy at will requires 30+ days notice; lease non-renewal requires timely notice per the lease.
Evictions in Suffolk County follow Massachusetts statutory procedure under MGL c. 239 (summary process). Massachusetts does not mandate 'just cause' for ending a tenancy, but procedural protections are extensive. For a tenant at will, a landlord must serve a 30-day (or one-full-rental-period, whichever is longer) notice to quit for no-cause; 14 days for non-payment of rent under MGL c. 186, §11/§12. For a lease, the landlord need only decline to renew; retaliation and discrimination protections still apply. Suits are filed in the Eastern Housing Court (covering Boston, Chelsea, Revere, Winthrop) or East Boston Municipal Court for Boston cases. Tenants have a right to counsel in some cases through the Boston Office of Housing Stability and state-funded programs. Retaliation against tenants who organize, report violations, or join a tenant union is prohibited under MGL c. 186, §18 with 1-3 months rent damages. The HOMES Act (Chapter 169 of the Acts of 2024) allows eviction records to be sealed after dismissal or 4-7 years post-judgment. Self-help eviction — changing locks, shutting off utilities, removing belongings — is criminally prohibited under MGL c. 184, §18 and MGL c. 186, §14, with triple damages and up to $500 fines or 6 months imprisonment. Subsidized-housing tenants (Section 8, Boston Housing Authority, MA Rental Voucher) have additional just-cause-style protections under federal and state regulations.
Self-help eviction: MGL c. 186, §14 criminal, up to $500 fine or 6 months jail, triple damages. Retaliation: 1-3 months rent plus attorneys fees. Improper notice: case dismissed, refile required.
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