Advice for Moving in Boston
As hard as it is to believe, summer is about to end, meaning that Boston’s unofficial “moving day” is about to begin. With dozens of college and graduate students, young professionals, and other renters in more »
Category: Massachusetts Landlord/Tenant Law Blog
Help With A Security Deposit
Both tenants and landlords can benefit from help with a security deposit. Massachusetts’s security deposit law is not light reading, and often requires even the most experienced landlord-tenant attorney to review the law more than once to understand its many, more »
Overview of Housing Court Expansion
After years of stalled legislation, housing court expansion has finally occurred in Massachusetts. The recently passed 2018 budget provides for statewide Housing Court, allowing all towns and cities access to a regional division of the Housing Court. Previously, a large more »
Top Five Landlord Mistakes
In this blog post, I want to discuss the top five landlord mistakes made by those renting residential property in Massachusetts. Massachusetts has numerous laws protecting tenants, and a landlord’s failure to comply with these regulations can cause major more »
How Long Does an Eviction Take?
How long does an eviction take in Massachusetts? Answering that question is like a weatherman stating what the weather is going to be the next day: an expert can give a good prediction, but many unknown factors can make a more »
I’ve Been Served With An Eviction Notice! Now What?
Getting served with an eviction notice can be a stressful experience. Tenants who receive one of these notices need to act quickly to protect their rights. What is An Eviction Notice? An eviction notice in Massachusetts is generally one of more »
Appealing an Eviction Case
Appealing an eviction case is a complicated subject. I could write for hours on the topic, and even then, would only cover the basics. Here, I want to offer two critical points for anyone appealing an eviction case: act quickly, more »
Returning a Security Deposit
Rule number one for Massachusetts landlords: never, never take a security deposit. As I have written before, the risks just aren’t worth it. The Massachusetts Security Deposit Law is one of the most complex and detailed laws on the more »
Text Messages as Evidence – Lessons from the Massachusetts Texting Suicide Case
If you followed the news today, you know about the guilty verdict in the texting suicide case taking place in the Massachusetts Juvenile Court. In a well reasoned oral decision, Judge Lawrence Moniz found the defendant, Michelle Carter, guilty of involuntary more »
Levying An Execution
Levying an execution in a Massachusetts eviction case is the process by which a landlord, if they are successful in the eviction, is permitted to remove the tenant’s belongings from the rental property. An execution for possession is a legal more »