Filings Month Ending 2025 December 31

Residential summary process: Filings Report This report examines cases filed recently before reading, for which outcomes were largely unknown. Search Period Start: 2025-12-01 Search Period End: 2025-12-31 Earliest Case: 2025-12-01 Latest Case: 2025-12-31 Total Cases: 3452 Total Transfers: 59 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 18.8% Of those, percentage pro se: 52.6% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: Berlin Least stable with 10+ filings: Holyoke Least stable with 100+ filings: Springfield Least stable county: Hampden Cases per day: 115 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 732 21.2% western 553 16.0% northeast 539 15.6% central 490 14.2% southeast 403 11.7% metro_south 328 9.5% lynn district 44 1.3% malden district 38 1.1% brockton district 35 1.0% lawrence district 27 0.8% fall river district 22 0.6% quincy district 22 0.6% haverhill district 18 0.5% pittsfield district 17 0.5% springfield district 14 0.4% holyoke district 12 0.3% waltham district 12 0.3% lowell district 10 0.3% somerville district 10 0.3% bmc west roxbury 9 0.3% cambridge district 9 0.3% chelsea district 8 0.2% eastern hampshire district 7 0.2% framingham district 7 0.2% northern berkshire district 7 0.2% bmc east boston 5 0.1% dedham district 5 0.1% peabody district 5 0.1% attleboro district 4 0.1% concord district 4 0.1% fallmouth district 4 0.1% orleans district 3 0.1% wareham district 3 0.1% westfield district 3 0.1% woburn district 3 0.1% worcester district 3 0.1% bmc dorchester 2 0.1% chicopee district 2 0.1% fitchburg district 2 0.1% hingham district 2 0.1% milford district 2 0.1% newton district 2 0.1% orange district 2 0.1% palmer district 2 0.1% plymouth district 2 0.1% salem district 2 0.1% stoughton district 2 0.1% taunton district 2 0.1% wrentham district 2 0.1% ayer district 1 0.0% bmc brighton 1 0.0% bmc charlestown 1 0.0% bmc roxbury 1 0.0% brookline district 1 0.0% edgartown district 1 0.0% gloucester district 1 0.0% nantucket district 1 0.0% new bedford district 1 0.0% newburyport district 1 0.0% northampton district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 2804 3 Natural Person 648 3449 Total 3452 3452 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 81.2% 0.1% Natural Person 18.8% 99.9% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 2760 44 2804 Optional 307 341 648 Total 3067 385 3452 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 80.0% 1.3% 81.2% Optional 8.9% 9.9% 18.8% Total 88.8% 11.2% 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 0 3 3 Optional 14 3435 3449 Total 14 3438 3452 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.0% 0.1% 0.1% Optional 0.4% 99.5% 99.9% Total 0.4% 99.6% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 83 2.4% 1 2427 70.3% 2 770 22.3% 3 135 3.9% 4 25 0.7% 5 6 0.2% 6 3 0.1% 7 3 0.1% Total 3452 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 2581 74.8% Cause 516 14.9% No Fault 321 9.3% Foreclosure 34 1.0% Unknown/Other 0 0.0% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Berlin 244 7 Holyoke 228 91 Lenox Dale 214 1 South Boston 172 58 Southbridge 149 25 Springfield 137 210 Fall River 132 118 Ware 131 13 Dorchester 128 118 Athol 120 14 Indian Orchard 119 12 Randolph 115 37 Marlborough 109 42 North Adams 109 15 South Dennis 108 4 Adams 106 9 Chelsea 105 37 Florence 105 1 Pittsfield 105 47 Norwood 104 30 Chicopee 103 57 New Bedford 103 98 Feeding Hills 102 12 Stockbridge 102 2 Three Rivers 102 3 Framingham 100 69 Roxbury 100 60 Rockland 97 17 Fitchburg 96 39 Chestnut Hill 94 2 Lawrence 94 72 Roslindale 93 27 Bedford 90 12 South Easton 88 9 West Springfield 88 25 Buzzards Bay 87 3 Gilbertville 86 1 Malden 84 50 Brockton 82 77 Chesterfield 81 1 Sunderland 81 3 Lynn 80 73 Cohasset 79 6 Everett 79 33 Charlemont 78 1 Chester 74 1 Quincy 74 69 Worcester 74 135 Braintree 72 26 East Falmouth 69 4 Gardner 69 14 Easthampton 68 11 Clinton 66 9 Burlington 65 16 Middleborough 64 15 Dennis Port 63 2 Revere 63 33 Abington 62 10 Hyde Park 62 21 Danvers 60 16 Mattapan 60 22 Westborough 60 11 Attleborough 59 26 Haverhill 59 36 Lenox 59 3 Oxford 58 8 Taunton 57 32 Leominster 56 23 Shelburne Falls 56 1 Auburn 55 9 Holbrook 55 6 Salem 55 23 Stoughton 55 15 Tewksbury 55 16 Charlton 53 7 Lowell 53 57 Baldwinville 52 1 West Boylston 52 4 Palmer 49 6 Waltham 49 30 Woburn 49 19 Salisbury 48 4 Saugus 48 13 Turners Falls 48 2 Peabody 46 24 North Andover 45 13 Allston 44 13 Raynham 44 6 Great Barrington 42 3 Southwick 42 4 Brighton 41 18 Westminster 41 3 Cambridge 40 43 Dedham 40 10 Greenfield 40 7 Methuen 40 19 Watertown 40 13 Williamsburg 40 1 Dorchester Center 39 36 Milford 39 11 Millis 38 3 Northampton 38 11 Westfield 38 16 Canton 37 8 Jamaica Plain 37 14 Lakeville 37 4 North Falmouth 37 1 Ashland 36 6 Hingham 36 8 Shrewsbury 36 13 West Roxbury 36 11 Foxborough 35 6 Somerville 35 27 Tyngsborough 35 4 Pocasset 34 1 East Weymouth 33 18 Hopkinton 33 5 Orleans 33 2 Provincetown 33 1 Beverly 32 13 East Taunton 31 2 Franklin 31 10 Gloucester 31 9 Andover 30 10 Mansfield 30 7 Medford 30 17 Charlestown 29 5 Hull 29 3 Nahant 29 1 Seekonk 29 4 South Weymouth 29 16 Webster 29 5 Mashpee 28 4 Northborough 28 4 Norwell 28 3 Rockport 28 2 Sudbury 28 5 Whitinsville 28 2 Wilbraham 28 4 Dracut 27 8 East Wareham 27 6 Marshfield 27 7 Natick 27 9 Sagamore Beach 27 1 Wareham 27 6 Westford 27 6 Hudson 26 5 Plymouth 26 15 Williamstown 25 2 Bellingham 24 4 Georgetown 24 2 Reading 24 6 Chelmsford 23 8 Acton 22 5 Bradford 22 3 Forestdale 22 1 Ipswich 22 3 Littleton 22 2 Melrose 22 6 Oak Bluffs 22 1 Winthrop 22 4 Boxborough 20 1 Brewster 20 2 Wakefield 20 5 Whitman 20 3 East Boston 19 8 Hanson 19 2 Lunenburg 19 2 Nantucket 19 2 Rochester 19 1 Warren 19 1 Winchendon 19 2 Yarmouth Port 19 1 Bridgewater 18 5 Ludlow 18 4 West Yarmouth 18 1 Weymouth 18 10 Wrentham 18 2 Agawam 17 5 Mendon 17 1 South Hadley 17 3 South Yarmouth 17 2 Arlington 16 7 Lee 16 1 Newton Upper Falls 16 1 Groveland 15 1 Kingston 15 2 Millbury 15 2 Wayland 15 2 Dalton 14 1 Hyannis 14 2 West Bridgewater 14 1 Ayer 13 1 Westwood 13 2 Wilmington 13 3 East Templeton 12 1 Orange 12 1 Assonet 11 1 Boston 11 70 Amherst 10 4 Needham Heights 10 3 North Attleborough 10 3 North Chelmsford 10 1 Southborough 10 1 Sturbridge 10 1 Wellesley Hills 10 3 Lexington 9 3 Carver 8 1 Medfield 8 1 Pepperell 8 1 Rehoboth 8 1 Roxbury Crossing 8 5 Spencer 8 1 Walpole 8 2 Centerville 7 1 Medway 7 1 Milton 7 2 Swampscott 7 1 Amesbury 6 1 Belchertown 6 1 East Longmeadow 6 1 Fairhaven 6 1 Longmeadow 6 1 Northbridge 6 1 Swansea 6 1 Westport 6 1 Bourne 5 1 Brookline 5 3 Holden 5 1 Marblehead 5 1 Norton 5 1 Sharon 5 1 Somerset 5 1 Belmont 4 1 Billerica 4 2 E. Boston 4 2 Onset 4 1 Sandwich 4 1 Winchester 4 1 Falmouth 3 1 Needham 3 1 Wellesley 3 1 North Weymouth 1 1 (not given) 0 207 span 0 2 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 635 452 Berkshire 520 84 Plymouth 433 187 Bristol 379 312 Norfolk 350 299 Worcester 322 359 Essex 309 340 Suffolk 284 562 Hampshire 249 46 Middlesex 234 548 Barnstable 186 36 Franklin 142 15 Nantucket 56 2 Dukes 24 1 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/.