Filings Quarter Ending 2025 June 30

Residential summary process: Filings Report This report examines cases filed recently before reading, for which outcomes were largely unknown. Search Period Start: 2025-04-01 Search Period End: 2025-06-30 Earliest Case: 2025-04-01 Latest Case: 2025-06-30 Total Cases: 8746 Total Transfers: 208 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 23.2% Of those, percentage pro se: 51.7% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: West Hyannisport Least stable with 10+ filings: Chestnut Hill Least stable with 100+ filings: Springfield Least stable county: Hampden Cases per day: 97 Housing crisis baseline max cases per day (UCL): 130 Housing crisis baseline min cases per day (LCL): 44 The number of filings this period is not statistically different from the pre-pandemic housing crisis baseline. -- Courts (n) Count Percent eastern 1828 20.9% northeast 1580 18.1% central 1255 14.3% western 1181 13.5% southeast 989 11.3% metro_south 816 9.3% malden district 105 1.2% lynn district 86 1.0% lawrence district 67 0.8% quincy district 58 0.7% cambridge district 49 0.6% fall river district 45 0.5% brockton district 43 0.5% somerville district 41 0.5% lowell district 40 0.5% chelsea district 35 0.4% springfield district 35 0.4% waltham district 33 0.4% haverhill district 30 0.3% pittsfield district 30 0.3% bmc west roxbury 28 0.3% attleboro district 22 0.3% bmc east boston 22 0.3% framingham district 21 0.2% northern berkshire district 21 0.2% woburn district 20 0.2% dedham district 19 0.2% newburyport district 19 0.2% worcester district 17 0.2% barnstable district 16 0.2% salem district 15 0.2% peabody district 13 0.1% bmc dorchester 11 0.1% bmc roxbury 11 0.1% fallmouth district 11 0.1% milford district 11 0.1% ayer district 10 0.1% orleans district 10 0.1% bmc central 9 0.1% newton district 9 0.1% bmc brighton 8 0.1% plymouth district 6 0.1% stoughton district 6 0.1% wrentham district 6 0.1% holyoke district 5 0.1% westfield district 5 0.1% edgartown district 4 0.0% fitchburg district 4 0.0% gloucester district 4 0.0% hingham district 4 0.0% new bedford district 4 0.0% chicopee district 3 0.0% clinton district 3 0.0% palmer district 3 0.0% bmc charlestown 2 0.0% bmc south boston 2 0.0% concord district 2 0.0% gardner district court 2 0.0% nantucket district 2 0.0% wareham district 2 0.0% brookline district 1 0.0% eastern hampshire district 1 0.0% leominster district 1 0.0% northampton district 1 0.0% southern berkshire district 1 0.0% taunton district 1 0.0% westborough district 1 0.0% winchedon district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 6715 26 Natural Person 2031 8720 Total 8746 8746 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 76.8% 0.3% Natural Person 23.2% 99.7% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 6616 99 6715 Optional 981 1050 2031 Total 7597 1149 8746 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 75.6% 1.1% 76.8% Optional 11.2% 12.0% 23.2% Total 86.9% 13.1% 100.0% Defendant Representation Important: Defendants will not have an attorney known to the plaintiff at time of filing unless this is an ongoing matter. 100% pro se is to be expected in all filing reports except to the extent time passes between filing and staff review. See outcomes report for final assessment. (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 2 24 26 Optional 68 8652 8720 Total 70 8676 8746 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.0% 0.3% 0.3% Optional 0.8% 98.9% 99.7% Total 0.8% 99.2% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 299 3.4% 1 6149 70.3% 2 1881 21.5% 3 301 3.4% 4 84 1.0% 5 20 0.2% 6 7 0.1% 7 3 0.0% 8 1 0.0% 10 1 0.0% Total 8746 100.0% Note: Households may appear with zero adults due to clerical delay entering known defendants, identity protection obscuring known defendants (e.g., 42 USC Sections 13701 through 1404 Violence Against Women Act), or no adult defendants (e.g., abandonment of minors). Initiating Action Count Percent Non-payment 6104 69.8% Cause 1427 16.3% No Fault 1111 12.7% Foreclosure 101 1.2% Unknown/Other 3 0.0% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count West Hyannisport 1666 3 Gilbertville 608 7 Drury 606 1 Chestnut Hill 518 11 New Ashford 438 1 Florence 421 4 Springfield 326 499 Blandford 324 4 Hyde Park 305 102 Wheelwright 305 1 Framingham 294 201 Lynn 287 260 Dorchester 279 257 Randolph 264 85 Roxbury 263 157 Fall River 256 228 Revere 256 133 Malden 255 152 Lawrence 251 192 New Bedford 248 236 Norwood 248 71 Southbridge 245 41 Worcester 243 440 Chelsea 241 85 Gardner 237 48 Lowell 234 250 Chilmark 230 2 Hyannis 227 32 Holyoke 223 89 Bridgewater 222 59 Indian Orchard 218 22 Marlborough 218 84 North Adams 218 30 Berlin 209 6 Athol 207 24 Fitchburg 203 82 Brockton 194 182 Dennis Port 189 6 Jamaica Plain 184 69 Mattapan 180 66 Salem 179 74 Pittsfield 176 79 Roslindale 172 50 Whitinsville 172 12 Everett 170 71 Turners Falls 170 7 Provincetown 169 5 Allston 167 49 Charlestown 167 28 South Dennis 162 6 Amesbury 159 26 Burlington 159 39 Vineyard Haven 158 3 Middleborough 155 36 Dorchester Center 154 142 Haverhill 154 94 West Yarmouth 151 8 Taunton 148 83 Wellfleet 145 4 Thorndike 144 1 Brighton 143 63 Quincy 143 132 Cambridge 142 150 Milford 142 40 Leyden 140 1 East Boston 138 56 East Falmouth 138 8 Abington 137 22 Feeding Hills 137 16 Greenfield 137 24 Webster 137 23 Woburn 136 52 Canton 134 29 Tewksbury 134 39 Chicopee 130 72 Foxborough 130 22 West Springfield 130 37 Lanesborough 129 4 East Wareham 128 28 Maynard 128 13 North Brookfield 128 6 Somerville 128 97 Waltham 128 78 Warwick 128 1 Granville 127 2 South Easton 127 13 Stoughton 126 34 Braintree 123 44 Eastham 121 6 Easthampton 118 19 Buzzards Bay 116 4 Harwich Port 115 2 Ware 111 11 East Taunton 109 7 Plainville 108 9 Sunderland 108 4 Hull 106 11 North Billerica 103 11 Orange 102 8 Dedham 101 25 Attleborough 100 44 Peabody 99 51 Dracut 98 29 Leeds 98 1 Chelmsford 97 33 South Chatham 97 1 South Deerfield 97 2 Clinton 95 13 Hadley 95 5 Adams 94 8 Lakeville 94 10 Westfield 94 39 Hopkinton 93 14 Westborough 93 17 Holbrook 92 10 Haydenville 88 1 West Warren 88 1 Winchendon 87 9 South Boston 86 29 South Yarmouth 86 10 Mashpee 85 12 South Hadley 85 15 Leominster 83 34 Bedford 82 11 Palmer 82 10 Watertown 81 26 Boxborough 80 4 North Attleborough 80 23 Wakefield 80 20 Tyngsborough 79 9 Shrewsbury 78 28 West Roxbury 78 24 Millers Falls 77 1 Spencer 77 9 Methuen 74 35 Beverly 73 29 Harwich 73 9 Dudley 70 8 Great Barrington 70 5 Plympton 70 2 Belchertown 68 10 Hubbardston 68 3 Hudson 68 13 Three Rivers 68 2 Ayer 67 5 Danvers 67 18 Lee 67 4 North Andover 67 19 Raynham 67 9 Ashland 66 11 Franklin 66 21 Halifax 66 5 Mattapoisett 66 4 East Weymouth 65 35 Weymouth 65 35 Billerica 64 26 Wareham 64 14 Fairhaven 63 10 Northborough 63 9 Wrentham 63 7 Millville 62 2 Westhampton 62 1 Bellingham 61 10 Groveland 61 4 Salisbury 60 5 Agawam 59 17 Dalton 59 4 Gloucester 59 17 Melrose 59 16 Phillipston 59 1 Brookfield 58 2 Clarksburg 58 1 Hingham 58 13 Nahant 58 2 Swampscott 58 8 Warren 58 3 Hanover 57 8 Natick 57 19 Norton 57 11 Littleton 56 5 Medford 56 32 Shelburne Falls 56 1 Shutesbury 56 1 Townsend 56 5 Whitman 55 8 Leicester 54 6 Bondsville 53 1 Duxbury 53 8 Baldwinville 52 1 Millbury 52 7 Pepperell 52 6 North Eastham 51 1 North Grafton 51 4 Oxford 51 7 Plymouth 51 29 Seekonk 51 7 Hopedale 50 3 Auburn 49 8 North Truro 49 1 Northampton 49 14 Andover 48 16 Saugus 48 13 North Reading 47 7 West Townsend 47 1 Bernardston 46 1 Roxbury Crossing 46 28 Stoneham 46 10 Acton 45 10 East Brookfield 45 1 Forestdale 45 2 Huntington 45 1 Rockland 45 8 Sharon 45 8 Westford 45 10 Boston 44 272 E. Boston 44 18 Oak Bluffs 44 2 South Weymouth 44 24 Carver 43 5 Bourne 40 8 Holland 40 1 Wilmington 40 9 Winthrop 40 7 Cohasset 39 3 Kingston 39 5 Lunenburg 39 4 Medway 39 5 Charlton 38 5 Hampden 38 2 Lexington 38 12 Millis 38 3 Somerset 38 7 North Falmouth 37 1 Rutland 37 3 Walpole 37 9 West Tisbury 36 1 Monument Beach 35 1 Norfolk 35 4 Amherst 34 13 Lynnfield 34 4 Pocasset 34 1 Rowley 34 2 Sandwich 33 7 Auburndale 32 3 Fiskdale 32 1 North Chelmsford 32 3 Northfield 32 1 Reading 32 8 Marshfield 31 8 Mansfield 30 7 North Easton 30 4 Sheffield 30 1 Hatfield 29 1 Uxbridge 29 4 Arlington 28 12 Belmont 28 7 Dighton 28 2 East Bridgewater 28 4 East Sandwich 28 1 Essex 28 1 Ludlow 28 6 Rockport 28 2 Wilbraham 28 4 Sagamore 27 1 Shirley 27 2 West Brookfield 27 1 Boxford 25 2 Milton 25 7 North Dartmouth 25 6 Rehoboth 25 3 Sterling 25 2 Tisbury 25 1 Williamstown 25 2 Georgetown 24 2 Lancaster 24 2 Medfield 24 3 Brookline 23 14 Holden 23 4 Monson 23 2 Wayland 23 3 Falmouth 22 7 Ipswich 22 3 Scituate 22 4 South Grafton 22 1 Brewster 20 2 Carlisle 20 1 Marion 20 1 Marstons Mills 20 1 Southborough 20 2 East Longmeadow 19 3 Hanson 19 2 Lenox 19 1 Manchester 19 1 Nantucket 19 2 Newtonville 19 1 Barre 18 1 Cherry Valley 18 2 Onset 18 4 Winchester 18 4 Dover 17 1 East Orleans 17 1 Newburyport 17 3 South Dartmouth 17 6 Southampton 17 1 Chatham 16 1 Granby 16 1 Orleans 16 1 Pembroke 16 3 Sudbury 16 3 Berkley 15 1 Lincoln 15 1 Newbury 15 1 Stow 15 1 Bradford 14 2 Centerville 14 2 Needham Heights 13 4 Upton 13 1 West Boylston 13 1 Westwood 13 2 East Templeton 12 1 Northbridge 12 2 Templeton 12 1 Westport 12 2 Assonet 11 1 Blackstone 11 1 Concord 11 2 Middleton 11 1 Marblehead 10 2 North Weymouth 10 6 Southwick 10 1 Acushnet 9 1 Newton 9 8 Norwell 9 1 Groton 8 1 Holliston 7 1 Barnstable 6 3 Longmeadow 6 1 Swansea 6 1 Greenbush 5 1 Newton Highlands 4 4 Newton Lower Falls 4 4 East Walpole 3 1 Needham 3 1 Wellesley 3 1 Wellesley Hills 3 1 Dartmouth 2 1 (not given) 0 456 span 0 6 Rate per 100,000 residents based on 2010 census. Municipalities do not appear if no evictions filed. Where neighborhoods are commonly recognized as municipalities, data appears under the neighborhood rather than the legal entity (e.g., "Roxbury" is separate from "Boston".) Where municipalities have alternate spellings (e.g., Marlboro for Marlborough), totals appear under the long form. Efforts are made to correct clerical errors in the court database, but clerical errors may appear. Rate per 100,000 County Renter Households Count Hampden 1168 831 Plymouth 1123 485 Berkshire 873 141 Bristol 866 713 Worcester 849 945 Suffolk 828 1635 Barnstable 818 158 Essex 808 889 Norfolk 794 677 Middlesex 706 1649 Hampshire 532 98 Franklin 493 52 Dukes 219 9 Nantucket 56 2 Rate per 100,000 renter households based on 2019 ACS. Counties appear even if no evictions filed. -- Data Sources (report errors to hello@masslandlords.net): County Data Households Percent Renters Barnstable 96,509 20.0% Berkshire 53,792 30.0% Bristol 220,528 37.3% Dukes 18,146 22.6% Essex 297,898 36.9% Franklin 30,927 34.1% Hampden 179,970 39.5% Hampshire 60,002 30.7% Middlesex 612,366 38.1% Nantucket 11,399 30.8% Norfolk 269,717 31.6% Plymouth 191,041 22.6% Suffolk 309,945 63.7% Worcester 316,162 35.2% County Households: 2019 ACS TableID S1101 County Households and Renters, Dukes and Nantucket: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/dukescountymassachusetts County Households and Renters, Large Counties: https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=S11&g=0400000US25.050000&d=ACS%201-Year%20Estimates%20Subject%20Tables&tid=ACSST1Y2019.S1101&hidePreview=true Dukes County Renters: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/dukescountymassachusetts Nantucket County Renters: https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/nantucketcountymassachusetts -- Methodology Publicly available records at MassCourts.org are read fully manually at two intervals: 1.) For a filings report, once within approximately one week of filing; 2.) For an outcomes report, once again approximately 12 to 18 months after filing. Cases are searched by 'case type' = 'summary process', party type = 'plaintiff' within date ranges, typically weekly. MassCourts.org displays matches, not cases. X plaintiffs on a single case result in X separate matches. Cases are manually de-duplicated. Where the number of matches exceeds the number displayed (e.g., 'Displaying 100 of 257 total matches.'), date ranges are reduced until all cases may be viewed. If the date range cannot be reduced (i.e., is one day) but matches still exceed the display limit of 100, then two additional passes are taken. First, municipalities are filtered in stages. Second, to capture cases with no municipality entered, the search switches from 'case type' to 'case number', guessing the missing numbers assuming serialized entry. This method results in 'matches' reconciled to case counts. This effort costs more than 1 FTE. Summary spreadsheets are produced by copying exactly what is read. The spreadsheets are processed using proprietary software. Repeated analyses of local spreadsheets does not burden the MassCourts servers. The software is developed using best practices for revision control and regression testing. Limitations: Data are snapshots. As such, we cannot track individual cases over time or produce real-time reports. MassLandlords does not have access to court databases beyond what is published in human readable form at MassCourts.org. As of this report, MassLandlords staff were not considering information available to attorneys (e.g., the contents of notices, discovery, evidence, etc.) but not available to the general public. All data presented here are readily verifiable at MassCourts.org without special permission. Information is not independently verified outside of the court record. For instance, clerical errors in address, omissions of a defendant, etc. are not readily verifiable. As this process matures, reporting algorithms may change. Transfers are counted as new cases. Clerical differences between original case and transfer (e.g., middle initial included then dropped; defendant dropped on transfer; street address spelling changed) as well as the potential for indefinite circular transferring (e.g., foreclosure cases moving between housing, land, and/or superior courts) make it very difficult to programmatically identify continuing matters. Methodology changes: 2022-03: Where docket history shows judgment and/or execution, but case has not been disposed, infer judgment and/or execution. 2022-05: Correct counting error in 'By prevailing party' section where agreement for judgment renders prevailing party unknown. Rows now sum to total. 2023-01: We now report dispositions on the basis of the last disposition found in a docket. Previously we were using a prioritized keyword match, which produced inaccurate results for complex cases. -- When Citing This Work, Please Credit: MassLandlords, Inc. Available online at https://masslandlords.net/policy/eviction-data/.