Filings Quarter Ending 2026 March 31

Residential summary process: Filings Report This report examines cases filed recently before reading, for which outcomes were largely unknown. Search Period Start: 2026-01-01 Search Period End: 2026-03-31 Earliest Case: 2026-01-01 Latest Case: 2026-03-27 Total Cases: 8681 Total Transfers: 167 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 20.4% Of those, percentage pro se: 54.8% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: Florence Least stable with 10+ filings: Florence Least stable with 100+ filings: Holyoke 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 1836 21.1% northeast 1448 16.7% central 1216 14.0% western 1164 13.4% southeast 1031 11.9% metro_south 863 9.9% lynn district 101 1.2% lawrence district 94 1.1% malden district 94 1.1% brockton district 79 0.9% cambridge district 59 0.7% pittsfield district 48 0.6% quincy district 48 0.6% lowell district 47 0.5% fall river district 46 0.5% haverhill district 39 0.4% chelsea district 31 0.4% dedham district 25 0.3% northern berkshire district 25 0.3% bmc west roxbury 24 0.3% waltham district 24 0.3% bmc dorchester 20 0.2% holyoke district 19 0.2% springfield district 17 0.2% bmc east boston 16 0.2% chicopee district 16 0.2% bmc central 15 0.2% salem district 15 0.2% peabody district 13 0.1% somerville district 13 0.1% newton district 12 0.1% woburn district 12 0.1% attleboro district 11 0.1% ayer district 11 0.1% framingham district 11 0.1% westfield district 11 0.1% wrentham district 11 0.1% fallmouth district 10 0.1% worcester district 10 0.1% barnstable district 8 0.1% bmc roxbury 8 0.1% eastern hampshire district 8 0.1% milford district 7 0.1% bmc brighton 6 0.1% concord district 6 0.1% plymouth district 6 0.1% newburyport district 4 0.0% orange district 4 0.0% orleans district 4 0.0% palmer district 4 0.0% fitchburg district 3 0.0% gloucester district 3 0.0% nantucket district 3 0.0% southern berkshire district 3 0.0% taunton district 3 0.0% wareham district 3 0.0% hingham district 2 0.0% new bedford district 2 0.0% stoughton district 2 0.0% uxbridge district 2 0.0% brookline district 1 0.0% clinton district 1 0.0% greenfield district 1 0.0% leominster district 1 0.0% westborough district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 6914 14 Natural Person 1767 8667 Total 8681 8681 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 79.6% 0.2% Natural Person 20.4% 99.8% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 6848 66 6914 Optional 798 969 1767 Total 7646 1035 8681 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 78.9% 0.8% 79.6% Optional 9.2% 11.2% 20.4% Total 88.1% 11.9% 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 1 13 14 Optional 55 8612 8667 Total 56 8625 8681 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.0% 0.1% 0.2% Optional 0.6% 99.2% 99.8% Total 0.6% 99.4% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 222 2.6% 1 6117 70.5% 2 1907 22.0% 3 319 3.7% 4 91 1.0% 5 18 0.2% 6 4 0.0% 7 3 0.0% Total 8681 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 6675 76.9% Cause 1192 13.7% No Fault 745 8.6% Foreclosure 64 0.7% Unknown/Other 5 0.1% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Florence 1371 13 Chestnut Hill 471 10 Holyoke 376 150 Norwood 356 102 Mattapan 326 119 Springfield 317 486 Southbridge 299 50 Fall River 281 250 New Bedford 281 268 Randolph 277 89 South Boston 273 92 Sunderland 271 10 Dorchester 265 244 Malden 255 152 Roxbury 251 150 Everett 249 104 Indian Orchard 248 25 Framingham 247 169 Chelsea 241 85 Hyannis 241 34 Lowell 235 251 Worcester 233 422 Lawrence 213 163 Revere 210 109 Westborough 207 38 North Adams 196 27 Pittsfield 196 88 Fitchburg 193 78 Webster 190 32 Chicopee 189 105 Marlborough 184 71 Haverhill 183 112 Brockton 182 171 Lynn 178 161 Mashpee 178 25 East Boston 177 72 Whitinsville 172 12 Quincy 171 158 Salem 169 70 Canton 166 36 Jamaica Plain 165 62 Adams 164 14 Dennis Port 158 5 Gardner 158 32 Charlemont 157 2 Saugus 157 42 Stoughton 155 42 Warren 155 8 Bridgewater 154 41 West Springfield 154 44 Foxborough 148 25 Cambridge 146 154 South Deerfield 146 3 Allston 143 42 Greenfield 143 25 Orange 140 11 Sagamore Beach 138 5 West Wareham 138 3 Feeding Hills 137 16 Plainville 133 11 Salisbury 132 11 Fiskdale 129 4 Hyde Park 128 43 Waltham 128 78 Charlestown 125 21 Taunton 125 70 Woburn 123 47 Athol 120 14 Lenox 119 6 South Easton 117 12 East Sandwich 115 4 Northampton 115 33 Tyngsborough 115 13 Braintree 114 41 Cummington 114 1 Brighton 113 50 Somerville 113 86 Dorchester Center 111 103 Ware 111 11 Maynard 108 11 Peabody 105 54 Monterey 104 1 Lakeville 103 11 North Billerica 103 11 Roslindale 103 30 Spencer 102 12 Westfield 102 42 Danvers 101 27 Tisbury 101 4 New Braintree 100 1 Beverly 98 39 Great Barrington 98 7 Dedham 97 24 North Attleborough 97 28 Turners Falls 97 4 Hadley 95 5 Chelmsford 94 32 Medway 94 12 Abington 93 15 Leominster 93 38 Milford 92 26 East Wareham 91 20 Huntington 91 2 Mansfield 90 21 Clinton 88 12 Haydenville 88 1 Nahant 87 3 Swampscott 87 12 Weymouth 87 47 Middleborough 86 20 Bellingham 85 14 Burlington 85 21 Lee 84 5 Acton 82 18 Northbridge 82 13 Whitman 82 12 Blandford 81 1 Brewster 81 8 Plymouth 81 46 Easthampton 80 13 Lunenburg 79 8 Millers Falls 77 1 Gloucester 76 22 Attleborough 75 33 West Yarmouth 75 4 Palmer 74 9 Rockland 74 13 Hopkinton 73 11 Franklin 72 23 Dudley 70 8 Berlin 69 2 East Falmouth 69 4 Belmont 68 17 Hudson 68 13 Hull 68 7 Norton 68 13 Sharon 68 12 South Yarmouth 68 8 Provincetown 67 2 Raynham 67 9 Richmond 67 1 Winchendon 67 7 Ashby 65 2 East Weymouth 65 35 Leicester 63 7 East Taunton 62 4 Winthrop 62 11 Sheffield 61 2 Carver 60 7 Roxbury Crossing 60 36 Agawam 59 17 Douglas 59 5 Marshfield 59 15 North Andover 59 17 Buzzards Bay 58 2 Clarksburg 58 1 Newtonville 57 3 Becket 56 1 Grafton 56 10 Northborough 56 8 Osterville 56 2 Russell 56 1 Wakefield 56 14 Erving 55 1 Melrose 55 15 Shirley 55 4 Dracut 54 16 Leverett 54 1 Wales 54 1 Wrentham 54 6 Duxbury 53 8 South Weymouth 53 29 Watertown 53 17 Wayland 53 7 Baldwinville 52 1 Oakham 52 1 Holliston 51 7 North Eastham 51 1 Oxford 51 7 Rowley 51 3 South Hadley 51 9 Stockbridge 51 1 Tewksbury 51 15 Attleboro Falls 50 1 Rutland 50 4 Shrewsbury 50 18 Hanson 48 5 Medford 48 27 Methuen 48 23 Natick 48 16 Belchertown 47 7 Bernardston 46 1 Charlton 46 6 Andover 45 15 Boston 45 280 East Brookfield 45 1 Forestdale 45 2 Millbury 45 6 Dalton 44 3 North Oxford 44 1 Pembroke 44 8 Reading 44 11 South Grafton 44 2 Townsend 44 4 Auburn 43 7 Hanover 43 6 Lynnfield 43 5 North Chelmsford 43 4 Seekonk 43 6 Amesbury 42 7 West Roxbury 42 13 Marstons Mills 41 2 Stoneham 41 9 Wareham 41 9 Westwood 41 6 Bourne 40 8 Eastham 40 2 Marion 40 2 Newburyport 40 7 Williamsburg 40 1 Arlington 39 17 Billerica 39 16 Kingston 39 5 Yarmouth Port 39 2 Lexington 38 12 Millis 38 3 Needham Heights 38 11 North Dartmouth 38 9 North Grafton 38 3 Rochester 38 2 Somerset 38 7 Sterling 38 3 Williamstown 38 3 Barre 37 2 Fairhaven 37 6 Holbrook 37 4 Lancaster 37 3 Uxbridge 37 5 Ashland 36 6 East Bridgewater 36 5 Georgetown 36 3 Hingham 36 8 West Tisbury 36 1 Brookline 35 21 Monson 35 3 Plympton 35 1 Three Rivers 34 1 Hardwick 33 1 Hopedale 33 2 Orleans 33 2 Sudbury 33 6 E. Boston 32 13 Amherst 31 12 Southwick 31 3 Westford 31 7 Bedford 30 4 Cheshire 30 1 Marblehead 30 6 Stow 30 2 Acushnet 29 3 Hatfield 29 1 Princeton 29 1 Dighton 28 2 Holden 28 5 Ludlow 28 6 Brimfield 27 1 Sagamore 27 1 South Dennis 27 1 West Brookfield 27 1 Ayer 26 2 Cohasset 26 2 Halifax 26 2 Upton 26 2 West Boylston 26 2 Newton Center 25 1 Medfield 24 3 Walpole 24 6 West Harwich 24 3 North Dighton 23 1 North Easton 23 3 West Newbury 23 1 Avon 22 1 Bradford 22 3 Centerville 22 3 Concord 22 4 Littleton 22 2 Middleton 22 2 Oak Bluffs 22 1 Sutton 22 2 Wilmington 22 5 North Brookfield 21 1 Boxborough 20 1 North Reading 20 3 Wellesley Hills 20 6 Deerfield 19 1 Nantucket 19 2 Onset 18 4 Dover 17 1 Mendon 17 1 Norfolk 17 2 Pepperell 17 2 Chatham 16 1 Harwich 16 2 Mattapoisett 16 1 Newton Upper Falls 16 1 Scituate 16 3 Topsfield 16 1 Berkley 15 1 Falmouth 15 5 Ipswich 15 2 Lincoln 15 1 Dennis 14 2 Wilbraham 14 2 Longmeadow 12 2 Swansea 12 2 Waban 12 1 Assonet 11 1 Blackstone 11 1 Milton 11 3 Auburndale 10 1 Needham 10 3 North Weymouth 10 6 Southborough 10 1 Cherry Valley 9 1 Waquoit 9 1 Winchester 9 2 Groton 8 1 South Dartmouth 8 3 Newton 7 6 West Newton 7 1 East Longmeadow 6 1 East Walpole 3 1 Newton Lower Falls 3 3 Barnstable 2 1 Dartmouth 2 1 Newton Highlands 1 1 (not given) 0 415 span 0 9 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 1288 916 Plymouth 1042 450 Berkshire 997 161 Norfolk 932 795 Bristol 916 754 Worcester 842 938 Suffolk 797 1575 Essex 737 811 Barnstable 735 142 Middlesex 659 1538 Hampshire 591 109 Franklin 568 60 Dukes 146 6 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/.