Filings Quarter Ending 2025 September 30

Residential summary process: Filings Report This report examines cases filed recently before reading, for which outcomes were largely unknown. Search Period Start: 2025-07-01 Search Period End: 2025-09-30 Earliest Case: 2025-07-01 Latest Case: 2025-09-30 Total Cases: 9783 Total Transfers: 168 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 22.8% Of those, percentage pro se: 55.4% Most common cause: Non-payment Least stable municipality/neighborhood: Holyoke Least stable with 10+ filings: Holyoke Least stable with 100+ filings: Holyoke Least stable county: Hampden Cases per day: 107 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 2087 21.3% northeast 1643 16.8% central 1369 14.0% western 1341 13.7% southeast 1138 11.6% metro_south 1004 10.3% lynn district 128 1.3% lawrence district 84 0.9% malden district 81 0.8% fall river district 76 0.8% cambridge district 53 0.5% brockton district 52 0.5% quincy district 47 0.5% pittsfield district 46 0.5% haverhill district 44 0.4% chelsea district 41 0.4% springfield district 38 0.4% northern berkshire district 35 0.4% lowell district 33 0.3% bmc west roxbury 30 0.3% waltham district 27 0.3% newburyport district 25 0.3% framingham district 21 0.2% attleboro district 18 0.2% somerville district 18 0.2% salem district 17 0.2% bmc dorchester 16 0.2% bmc roxbury 15 0.2% peabody district 14 0.1% dedham district 13 0.1% holyoke district 12 0.1% ayer district 11 0.1% barnstable district 11 0.1% fallmouth district 11 0.1% hingham district 11 0.1% woburn district 11 0.1% bmc east boston 10 0.1% chicopee district 10 0.1% worcester district 10 0.1% bmc brighton 9 0.1% bmc central 9 0.1% westfield district 9 0.1% concord district 8 0.1% orleans district 8 0.1% newton district 7 0.1% stoughton district 7 0.1% plymouth district 6 0.1% wareham district 6 0.1% milford district 5 0.1% nantucket district 5 0.1% southern berkshire district 5 0.1% taunton district 5 0.1% wrentham district 5 0.1% edgartown district 4 0.0% fitchburg district 4 0.0% new bedford district 4 0.0% bmc charlestown 3 0.0% bmc south boston 3 0.0% brookline district 3 0.0% clinton district 3 0.0% eastern hampshire district 3 0.0% gloucester district 3 0.0% uxbridge district 3 0.0% natick district 2 0.0% orange district 1 0.0% palmer district 1 0.0% westborough district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 7548 14 Natural Person 2235 9769 Total 9783 9783 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 77.2% 0.1% Natural Person 22.8% 99.9% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 7408 140 7548 Optional 997 1238 2235 Total 8405 1378 9783 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 75.7% 1.4% 77.2% Optional 10.2% 12.7% 22.8% Total 85.9% 14.1% 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 0 14 14 Optional 58 9711 9769 Total 58 9725 9783 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.0% 0.1% 0.1% Optional 0.6% 99.3% 99.9% Total 0.6% 99.4% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 342 3.5% 1 6906 70.6% 2 2045 20.9% 3 349 3.6% 4 102 1.0% 5 29 0.3% 6 9 0.1% 8 1 0.0% Total 9783 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 7125 72.8% Cause 1448 14.8% No Fault 1141 11.7% Foreclosure 63 0.6% Unknown/Other 6 0.1% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Holyoke 473 189 Chestnut Hill 471 10 Leeds 393 4 Fall River 369 328 Springfield 364 558 East Otis 349 2 Southbridge 334 56 Florence 316 3 Norwood 314 90 Framingham 313 214 Dorchester 304 280 Chelsea 298 105 Lynn 298 270 New Bedford 286 272 Hyde Park 284 95 Hyannis 276 39 South Boston 276 93 Three Rivers 272 8 Roxbury 268 160 Fitchburg 262 106 Randolph 261 84 Gardner 252 51 Lowell 249 266 Lawrence 247 189 Worcester 246 447 Marlborough 244 94 Stoughton 241 65 Adams 235 20 Buzzards Bay 233 8 Mattapan 233 85 Pittsfield 232 104 Webster 232 39 Salem 229 95 East Boston 224 91 Quincy 223 206 Brockton 214 201 North Adams 211 29 Chicopee 204 113 Roslindale 204 59 Rockport 201 14 Everett 199 83 Revere 193 100 Taunton 182 102 Bridgewater 180 48 Malden 176 105 West Warren 176 2 Cambridge 174 184 Turners Falls 170 7 Hull 165 17 West Springfield 165 47 Milford 164 46 Canton 162 35 South Dennis 162 6 Dorchester Center 161 149 Jamaica Plain 160 60 Mansfield 159 37 Baldwinville 158 3 Indian Orchard 158 16 Allston 154 45 Brighton 154 68 Haverhill 149 91 Braintree 145 52 Thorndike 144 1 Westborough 142 26 West Wareham 138 3 Woburn 136 52 Amesbury 135 22 Ayer 134 10 South Grafton 134 6 Plainville 133 11 Clinton 132 18 Charlestown 131 22 Peabody 130 67 Athol 129 15 Leominster 122 50 Danvers 120 32 Salisbury 120 10 Tewksbury 120 35 Waltham 118 72 Saugus 116 31 Winchendon 116 12 Chilmark 115 1 Somerville 114 87 Franklin 113 36 Shelburne Falls 113 2 West Yarmouth 113 6 East Taunton 109 7 Middleborough 108 25 South Easton 107 11 Foxborough 106 18 Berlin 104 3 Monterey 104 1 Greenfield 103 18 Lakeville 103 11 Whitman 103 15 Feeding Hills 102 12 East Wareham 100 22 Whitinsville 100 7 North Truro 99 2 Beverly 98 39 Edgartown 98 4 Palmer 98 12 Fiskdale 97 3 Attleborough 96 42 West Roxbury 95 29 Dennis Port 94 3 Cohasset 92 7 Bellingham 91 15 East Brookfield 91 2 Gloucester 90 26 Norton 89 17 Orange 89 7 Oak Bluffs 88 4 Dudley 87 10 Nahant 87 3 North Attleborough 87 25 Rockland 85 15 Wilmington 85 19 Great Barrington 84 6 Northampton 84 24 Watertown 84 27 Weymouth 83 45 Blandford 81 1 Dracut 81 24 East Weymouth 81 44 West Brookfield 81 3 Boxborough 80 4 Methuen 80 38 Oxford 80 11 Lenox 79 4 Lunenburg 79 8 Maynard 79 8 Plymouth 79 45 Hudson 78 15 Nantucket 78 8 Millers Falls 77 1 Spencer 77 9 Westfield 77 32 Williamstown 77 6 Hadley 76 4 West Stockbridge 76 1 Bedford 75 10 Barre 74 4 Melrose 74 20 Southwick 73 7 West Tisbury 72 2 Westford 72 16 Kingston 71 9 Ware 70 7 Burlington 69 17 Fairhaven 69 11 Southampton 69 4 Abington 68 11 Acton 68 15 Belchertown 68 10 Ipswich 68 9 Winthrop 68 12 Raynham 67 9 Gill 66 1 Roxbury Crossing 65 39 West Boylston 65 5 Marshfield 63 16 Millis 63 5 Cheshire 61 2 Marstons Mills 61 3 Arlington 60 26 Dedham 60 15 Chelmsford 59 20 Hanson 58 6 Hingham 58 13 Medfield 58 7 Shrewsbury 58 21 Natick 57 19 Becket 56 1 Easthampton 56 9 Littleton 56 5 North Billerica 56 6 Northborough 56 8 Blackstone 55 5 Holbrook 55 6 Sagamore Beach 55 2 Shirley 55 4 South Weymouth 55 30 Stoneham 55 12 Leverett 54 1 Sunderland 54 2 Wales 54 1 North Reading 53 8 Buckland 52 1 Carver 52 6 Vineyard Haven 52 1 East Falmouth 51 3 Lynnfield 51 6 Sharon 51 9 South Hadley 51 9 Sudbury 50 9 Ashburnham 49 3 Medford 49 28 North Andover 49 14 Boston 48 300 Granby 48 3 Hanscom Afb 48 1 Needham Heights 48 14 South Deerfield 48 1 North Dighton 47 2 Bernardston 46 1 Agawam 45 13 Hubbardston 45 2 West Dennis 45 1 Westport 45 7 Belmont 44 11 Bradford 44 6 Scituate 44 8 Uxbridge 44 6 Auburn 43 7 East Bridgewater 43 6 Hanover 43 6 North Chelmsford 43 4 South Yarmouth 43 5 Andover 42 14 Mashpee 42 6 North Brookfield 42 2 Westminster 41 3 Brewster 40 4 Holland 40 1 Marblehead 40 8 Wakefield 40 10 Halifax 39 3 Pembroke 39 7 Sterling 38 3 Warren 38 2 Billerica 37 15 Lancaster 37 3 North Falmouth 37 1 Templeton 37 3 Walpole 37 9 Wareham 36 8 Wrentham 36 4 Monson 35 3 Tyngsborough 35 4 Pocasset 34 1 Concord 33 6 Lee 33 2 Mattapoisett 33 2 Ashby 32 1 Brookline 32 19 Harwich 32 4 Lanesborough 32 1 West Harwich 32 4 Lexington 31 10 Northbridge 31 5 Swansea 31 5 Ashland 30 5 Millbury 30 4 Sheffield 30 1 Wayland 30 4 Brookfield 29 1 Dalton 29 2 Milton 29 8 Princeton 29 1 Sandwich 29 6 Seekonk 29 4 Essex 28 1 Ludlow 28 6 Osterville 28 1 Duxbury 26 4 Hopkinton 26 4 Upton 26 2 Newton Center 25 1 North Grafton 25 2 Rutland 25 2 Tisbury 25 1 Charlton 23 3 North Easton 23 3 Winchester 23 5 Assonet 22 2 Avon 22 1 Boylston 22 1 Townsend 22 2 Amherst 21 8 Dennis 21 3 Swampscott 21 3 Wellesley Hills 20 6 Wenham 20 1 Acushnet 19 2 Falmouth 19 6 Manchester 19 1 Newtonville 19 1 Rochester 19 1 Holden 17 3 Newburyport 17 3 Norfolk 17 2 Pepperell 17 2 Rehoboth 17 2 Rowley 17 1 South Dartmouth 17 6 Weston 17 2 Chatham 16 1 Newton Upper Falls 16 1 North Dartmouth 16 4 Reading 16 4 Somerset 16 3 Berkley 15 1 Groveland 15 1 Lincoln 15 1 Medway 15 2 Merrimac 15 1 Newbury 15 1 Stow 15 1 Wilbraham 14 2 Onset 13 3 Westwood 13 2 E. Boston 12 5 Georgetown 12 1 Longmeadow 12 2 Douglas 11 1 Sutton 11 1 Bourne 10 2 Needham 10 3 Southborough 10 1 Cherry Valley 9 1 Leicester 9 1 Rochdale 9 1 Dartmouth 8 3 Groton 8 1 Newton 8 7 Newton Highlands 8 7 Centerville 7 1 East Walpole 7 2 Holliston 7 1 East Longmeadow 6 1 Roxbury Xing 6 4 Grafton 5 1 Wellesley 3 1 Newton Lower Falls 1 1 North Weymouth 1 1 (not given) 0 558 Perry 0 1 span 0 5 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 1441 1025 Plymouth 1183 511 Berkshire 1127 182 Bristol 1100 905 Norfolk 1013 864 Worcester 935 1041 Suffolk 912 1801 Essex 907 998 Middlesex 696 1626 Barnstable 611 118 Hampshire 461 85 Franklin 398 42 Dukes 316 13 Nantucket 227 8 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/.