Filings Year 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: 2025-01-01 Search Period End: 2025-12-31 Earliest Case: 2025-01-02 Latest Case: 2025-12-31 Total Cases: 37886 Total Transfers: 745 -- High-level take-aways: Percentage of landlords for whom attorney is optional: 21.8% Of those, percentage pro se: 53.5% 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: 104 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 8080 21.3% northeast 6504 17.2% central 5418 14.3% western 5153 13.6% southeast 4350 11.5% metro_south 3635 9.6% lynn district 418 1.1% malden district 391 1.0% lawrence district 320 0.8% quincy district 263 0.7% brockton district 226 0.6% fall river district 220 0.6% cambridge district 199 0.5% springfield district 166 0.4% chelsea district 162 0.4% lowell district 154 0.4% haverhill district 152 0.4% pittsfield district 147 0.4% bmc west roxbury 143 0.4% waltham district 130 0.3% northern berkshire district 121 0.3% somerville district 115 0.3% attleboro district 78 0.2% framingham district 72 0.2% salem district 69 0.2% woburn district 67 0.2% dedham district 65 0.2% worcester district 62 0.2% bmc dorchester 60 0.2% bmc east boston 60 0.2% newburyport district 60 0.2% peabody district 54 0.1% barnstable district 47 0.1% bmc brighton 44 0.1% fallmouth district 44 0.1% holyoke district 43 0.1% bmc roxbury 40 0.1% ayer district 36 0.1% westfield district 33 0.1% newton district 31 0.1% bmc central 30 0.1% milford district 30 0.1% orleans district 30 0.1% plymouth district 29 0.1% chicopee district 26 0.1% hingham district 26 0.1% stoughton district 23 0.1% wrentham district 23 0.1% wareham district 22 0.1% new bedford district 21 0.1% concord district 17 0.0% edgartown district 17 0.0% palmer district 17 0.0% fitchburg district 16 0.0% eastern hampshire district 15 0.0% taunton district 15 0.0% gloucester district 13 0.0% nantucket district 12 0.0% northampton district 11 0.0% brookline district 10 0.0% clinton district 9 0.0% southern berkshire district 8 0.0% bmc south boston 7 0.0% bmc charlestown 6 0.0% natick district 5 0.0% orange district 4 0.0% uxbridge district 4 0.0% gardner district court 2 0.0% greenfield district 2 0.0% westborough district 2 0.0% leominster district 1 0.0% winchedon district 1 0.0% Party Type (n) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 29631 70 Natural Person 8255 37816 Total 37886 37886 (%) Plaintiffs Defendants Corporate Entity 78.2% 0.2% Natural Person 21.8% 99.8% Total 100.0% 100.0% Plaintiff Representation (n) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 29201 430 29631 Optional 3835 4420 8255 Total 33036 4850 37886 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 77.1% 1.1% 78.2% Optional 10.1% 11.7% 21.8% Total 87.2% 12.8% 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 68 70 Optional 231 37585 37816 Total 233 37653 37886 (%) Has Attorney Pro Se Total Required 0.0% 0.2% 0.2% Optional 0.6% 99.2% 99.8% Total 0.6% 99.4% 100.0% Number of Adults in Households Count Percent 0 1179 3.1% 1 26664 70.4% 2 8136 21.5% 3 1370 3.6% 4 368 1.0% 5 102 0.3% 6 37 0.1% 7 17 0.0% 8 8 0.0% 9 1 0.0% 10 2 0.0% 13 1 0.0% 16 1 0.0% Total 37886 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 27639 73.0% Cause 5662 14.9% No Fault 4255 11.2% Foreclosure 316 0.8% Unknown/Other 14 0.0% Rate per 100,000 Municipality Residents Count Florence 2848 27 Chestnut Hill 2119 45 West Hyannisport 1666 3 Holyoke 1589 634 Springfield 1387 2124 Southbridge 1381 231 Dorchester 1361 1252 Fall River 1291 1148 Norwood 1199 343 Framingham 1182 808 Roxbury 1130 674 Lynn 1086 981 New Bedford 1081 1028 Chelsea 1077 379 Lawrence 1065 814 Randolph 1046 336 Gilbertville 1042 12 Worcester 1017 1843 Mattapan 1003 366 Hyde Park 995 333 Lowell 987 1052 North Adams 977 134 Fitchburg 974 393 Hyannis 958 135 Berlin 942 27 Gardner 939 190 Marlborough 937 361 South Boston 914 308 Salem 890 368 Everett 883 368 Revere 877 454 Brockton 876 822 Malden 873 519 Roslindale 847 245 Buzzards Bay 845 29 Pittsfield 829 371 Indian Orchard 814 82 Chicopee 768 425 Adams 754 64 Quincy 742 685 Athol 725 84 Thorndike 722 5 South Dennis 705 26 West Springfield 679 193 Stoughton 678 183 Charlestown 677 113 Bridgewater 670 178 East Boston 659 267 Greenfield 658 115 Taunton 656 367 Sunderland 651 24 Jamaica Plain 645 242 Haverhill 632 385 Cambridge 628 661 Ware 628 62 Allston 626 183 Webster 626 105 Dorchester Center 619 570 Drury 606 1 Milford 585 164 Westborough 585 107 Chilmark 577 5 Dennis Port 569 18 Blandford 567 7 Canton 565 122 Whitinsville 561 39 Braintree 553 198 Middleborough 549 127 Millers Falls 545 7 Three Rivers 544 16 South Easton 538 55 West Warren 529 6 Burlington 522 128 Waltham 521 316 Woburn 519 198 Fiskdale 518 16 Turners Falls 512 21 Brighton 505 222 Leeds 491 5 Attleborough 490 214 Peabody 487 250 Rockland 486 85 East Falmouth 484 28 Abington 481 77 Feeding Hills 479 56 Leominster 478 195 Somerville 475 360 Tewksbury 473 137 Foxborough 468 79 Hull 466 48 Clinton 455 62 West Yarmouth 455 24 Plainville 447 37 Mansfield 444 103 New Ashford 438 1 Saugus 431 115 Baldwinville 422 8 Amesbury 417 68 Warren 408 21 Watertown 401 128 Holbrook 398 43 Danvers 396 105 Easthampton 392 63 Beverly 384 152 Dracut 373 110 Rockport 373 26 East Wareham 371 81 Vineyard Haven 370 7 Weymouth 368 198 Palmer 362 44 West Roxbury 361 110 Bedford 360 48 Franklin 360 114 Winchendon 359 37 Westfield 355 146 Salisbury 350 29 East Otis 349 2 Maynard 346 35 Raynham 336 45 North Andover 335 95 Methuen 328 155 Ayer 323 24 North Brookfield 320 15 North Billerica 318 34 Spencer 316 37 Monterey 312 3 South Grafton 312 14 Great Barrington 309 22 Hudson 309 59 Tyngsborough 309 35 Provincetown 305 9 Wheelwright 305 1 North Attleborough 303 87 Whitman 303 44 Hopkinton 301 45 Oxford 299 41 East Taunton 297 19 Orange 293 23 Cohasset 291 22 Westford 291 64 Plymouth 288 163 Oak Bluffs 287 13 South Hadley 285 50 Chelmsford 284 96 Shelburne Falls 284 5 Andover 283 94 Dedham 283 70 Heath 283 2 Lakeville 282 30 Wrentham 282 31 Boxborough 280 14 Gloucester 277 80 Bellingham 275 45 East Weymouth 275 148 West Dennis 275 6 Littleton 268 24 Millis 266 21 South Yarmouth 266 31 Roxbury Crossing 264 158 Northampton 255 73 Dudley 254 29 Rowe 254 1 Norton 252 48 Medford 251 141 Shrewsbury 249 89 Acton 246 54 Melrose 244 66 Belchertown 238 35 Charlemont 236 3 Ashland 235 39 Carver 234 27 Marshfield 234 59 Nahant 234 8 Billerica 231 93 Natick 230 76 West Wareham 230 5 Lunenburg 228 23 Stoneham 223 48 Eastham 221 11 Kingston 221 28 Monson 221 19 Lee 218 13 Lenox 218 11 Wellfleet 218 6 Ludlow 217 46 Auburn 216 35 Cheshire 216 7 Wareham 215 47 Lenox Dale 214 1 Mashpee 214 30 Agawam 210 60 Wilmington 210 47 Hadley 209 11 Hanover 208 29 Shirley 208 15 Hingham 207 46 Stockbridge 205 4 Northborough 204 29 Fairhaven 201 32 Wakefield 200 50 Arlington 196 84 Medway 196 25 Seekonk 196 27 Hanson 195 20 South Deerfield 195 4 Bradford 193 26 South Weymouth 189 102 Southwick 189 18 Winthrop 188 33 Boston 186 1149 North Falmouth 185 5 Swampscott 181 25 Millbury 180 24 Williamstown 180 14 Belmont 177 44 Brookfield 176 6 Clarksburg 176 3 Pocasset 172 5 Charlton 169 22 West Boylston 169 13 Becket 168 3 Nantucket 167 17 Erving 166 3 Mattapoisett 165 10 North Chelmsford 164 15 Sharon 164 29 Dalton 162 11 Holland 161 4 Lanesborough 161 5 North Reading 161 24 Hubbardston 159 7 Manchester 155 8 Wayland 153 20 Brewster 152 15 Duxbury 152 23 Chester 149 2 North Truro 149 3 Edgartown 147 6 Harwich 147 18 West Tisbury 145 4 Blackstone 144 13 East Sandwich 143 5 Marion 142 7 Medfield 141 17 Leyden 140 1 North Easton 138 18 Sagamore Beach 138 5 Avon 137 6 East Brookfield 137 3 Bourne 136 27 Ipswich 136 18 Newtonville 134 7 Housatonic 132 1 Scituate 132 24 Sudbury 130 23 Barre 129 7 Pembroke 128 23 Warwick 128 1 Granville 127 2 Amherst 126 48 Millville 125 4 Otis 124 2 Groveland 123 8 South Lancaster 122 2 Lexington 121 38 Northbridge 120 19 Colrain 119 2 Halifax 119 9 Douglas 118 10 Hopedale 118 7 Orleans 118 7 Uxbridge 118 16 Yarmouth Port 118 6 Wendell 117 1 Harwich Port 115 2 Cummington 114 1 Pepperell 113 13 Lynnfield 112 13 Walpole 112 27 Needham Heights 110 32 Newburyport 109 19 Westport 109 17 E. Boston 108 44 West Brookfield 108 4 Milton 103 28 North Grafton 103 8 Southampton 103 6 Marstons Mills 102 5 Rutland 100 8 Swansea 100 16 South Chatham 97 1 East Bridgewater 94 13 Merrimac 94 6 West Townsend 94 2 Bernardston 93 2 Brookline 93 55 Reading 92 23 Sheffield 92 3 Wilbraham 91 13 Sterling 89 7 Haydenville 88 1 Templeton 87 7 Lancaster 86 7 Rowley 85 5 Ashburnham 82 5 Leicester 82 9 Sandwich 82 17 Westminster 82 6 Chesterfield 81 1 Granby 80 5 Assonet 78 7 Sutton 78 7 Townsend 78 7 Berkley 77 5 Somerset 77 14 Auburndale 76 7 West Stockbridge 76 1 Pelham 75 1 Georgetown 73 6 North Dartmouth 72 17 South Egremont 72 1 Marblehead 70 14 Plympton 70 2 Boylston 68 3 Forestdale 68 3 Concord 67 12 Richmond 67 1 Falmouth 66 21 Gill 66 1 New Marlborough 66 1 Norwell 66 7 Chatham 65 4 Northfield 65 2 Holden 63 11 Lincoln 62 4 Norfolk 62 7 Westhampton 62 1 Southborough 61 6 Westwood 61 9 Stow 60 4 Wellesley Hills 60 18 Centerville 59 8 Phillipston 59 1 Acushnet 58 6 Needham 58 17 Princeton 58 2 Essex 57 2 Rochester 57 3 West Harwich 57 7 Russell 56 1 Shutesbury 56 1 Winchester 56 12 Brimfield 55 2 Leverett 54 1 Wales 54 1 Bondsville 53 1 Upton 53 4 Buckland 52 1 South Dartmouth 52 18 Newton Center 51 2 North Eastham 51 1 Rehoboth 51 6 East Longmeadow 50 8 Onset 50 11 Tisbury 50 2 Hanscom Afb 48 1 North Dighton 47 2 Cherry Valley 45 5 Huntington 45 1 Groton 44 5 Longmeadow 44 7 West Bridgewater 43 3 Dighton 42 3 Carlisle 41 2 Williamsburg 40 1 Hampden 38 2 Holliston 36 5 Rochdale 36 4 Dover 35 2 Monument Beach 35 1 West Barnstable 35 1 Weston 35 4 Middleton 33 3 Ashby 32 1 Newton Upper Falls 32 2 Sturbridge 32 3 Dunstable 31 1 Newton 31 27 Cotuit 30 1 Newbury 30 2 Hatfield 29 1 West Hatfield 29 1 West Newton 29 4 Osterville 28 1 Sagamore 27 1 North Weymouth 26 15 Boxford 25 2 South Hamilton 25 2 East Templeton 24 2 South Attleboro 24 2 Montague 23 2 West Newbury 23 1 Grafton 22 4 Dennis 21 3 Wellesley 21 6 Bolton 20 1 Dartmouth 20 7 East Freetown 20 1 Fayville 20 2 Wenham 20 1 East Harwich 19 1 East Walpole 19 5 South Barre 18 1 East Orleans 17 1 Mendon 17 1 Newton Highlands 15 13 North Uxbridge 14 2 Roxbury Xing 11 7 Barnstable 8 4 Newton Lower Falls 8 7 Greenbush 5 1 (not given) 0 1772 DORCHESTER 0 2 Perry 0 1 chelsea 0 1 span 0 35 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 5511 3918 Plymouth 4752 2052 Berkshire 4213 680 Bristol 4026 3312 Worcester 3707 4126 Norfolk 3660 3120 Suffolk 3600 7109 Essex 3535 3886 Middlesex 2857 6666 Barnstable 2771 535 Hampshire 2138 394 Franklin 2114 223 Dukes 902 37 Nantucket 484 17 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/.