Can a landlord change the locks to force a tenant out in Massachusetts?

No. A landlord who evicts without a court order is liable for three months’ rent or actual damages, whichever is greater, plus costs and attorney fees. M.G.L. c. 186, § 15F; c. 184, § 18. In Massachusetts a tenant may be removed only through the court process, which is set by M.G.L. c. 186, §§ 11, 11A, 12, 15F; c. 239, §§ 1, 8A; Uniform Summary Process Rules.

WhatMassachusetts
Changing the locks, cutting a utility or removing belongingsUnlawful
Who may remove a tenantOnly a court officer acting on a court order

Notes

Massachusetts summary process is unusually technical: the notice to quit, the summons and complaint and the entry date each have their own timing, and a defect in any of them is fatal. A tenant who cures within the statutory period stops the case.

Source

M.G.L. c. 186, §§ 11, 11A, 12, 15F; c. 239, §§ 1, 8A; Uniform Summary Process Rules — last checked 2026-09-16.

This is a summary of the published procedure, not legal advice. Courts, local rules and the facts of a tenancy change what applies, and a defect in a notice or a filing can end a case. Have a lawyer review anything before it is served or filed.

How Seayora uses this rule

Seayora does not file, serve or appear in an eviction, and is not anybody’s lawyer. When a tenant has stopped paying, it lays out these steps for the property’s own state and city with the statute beside each one, holds back any step that would come too early, keeps an append-only record of the case — and shows the resident what would end it, legal-aid links included.

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