Transfers to Housing Court
Massachusetts’s trial court system has a unique forum for resolving housing matters: Housing Court. Housing Court has jurisdiction over civil and criminal matters related to the health, safety, or welfare of the occupants or owners of residential housing. In addition to eviction cases (probably the most common type of case in Housing Court), Housing Court can hear civil, criminal, and small claims cases related to housing.
Housing Court covers every town and city in Massachusetts. Years ago, Housing Court was only an option in a select number of regions across the state.
Housing Court has a unique feature that allows plaintiffs and defendants to transfer their cases into Housing Court, if the Housing Court has jurisdiction over the case. A transfer to Housing Court can be done anytime up to the day before trial and only requires submission of a simple transfer form to the original court and Housing Court.