Under a written lease in Massachusetts, a 14-day written notice to quit is enough to end the lease for unpaid rent. But the tenant can still save the tenancy by paying all rent due, with interest and court costs, on or before the day their answer is due in your court case.
Step by step in Massachusetts
Confirm the rent is unpaid under a written lease.
Write a notice to quit giving the tenant fourteen days.
Deliver it and keep proof of delivery.
After the 14 days, you can bring a case to recover possession.
If the tenant pays or tenders all rent due with interest and costs by the answer date, expect the lease to continue.
Common Massachusetts mistakes to avoid
Giving fewer than 14 days.
Assuming the notice alone ends things. A full payment by the answer date can still cure.
Pushing ahead when the late rent came from a delayed government payment. The court must continue the hearing at least seven days in that case.
This is general information, not legal advice. The verified rule and official sources above control. Check the source or a local attorney for your situation.
Related Massachusetts rules
Eviction court process & timeline
In a Massachusetts summary process (eviction) case for nonpayment of rent, if the tenancy is ending only for nonpayment, the nonpayment came from financial hardship and the tenant shows a pending application for emergency rental assistance, the court must grant a continuance, stay execution, and not enter judgment until the application is approved or denied. Statute text: "grant a continuance for a period as the court may deem just and reasonable" (Mass. Gen. Laws c. 239, § 15(b)).
Filing an eviction (summary process) costs $135 in Housing Court ($120 entry fee plus $15 surcharge) or $195 in District Court or the Boston Municipal Court ($180 plus $15 surcharge).
Removing or excluding a tenant without a court order lets the tenant recover possession or end the lease, plus three months' rent or treble damages and attorney's fees. Willfully failing to provide required utilities or services,, is a crime and makes the landlord liable for actual and consequential damages or three months' rent, whichever is greater.
Landlords may not retaliate against tenants for enforcing housing laws, reporting violations, or organizing or joining a tenants' union. A notice to quit, rent increase or other adverse action within 6 months after such activity is presumed retaliatory, and the landlord can rebut that only by clear and convincing evidence.
In an eviction for nonpayment or a no-fault termination, the tenant may raise claims over the condition of the unit (breach of warranty, lease or law) as a defense or counterclaim, including the difference between the rent and the unit's fair value. For condition claims, the landlord must have known of the problem before the tenant fell behind.
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