Quick answer: In Massachusetts a landlord ends a tenancy for unpaid rent with a 14-day written notice to quit. A tenant at will who has not had a similar notice in the last 12 months can stop it by paying everything due within 10 days, and a tenant under a written lease can stop it by paying rent, interest and costs by the answer day. A no-fault termination needs the rent interval or 30 days, whichever is longer.
This Massachusetts eviction notice calculator applies G.L. c.186, section 12, section 11 and section 13. Choose the reason and enter the date the tenant received the notice: it shows when the notice period ends and the earliest day the landlord can file. It does not say how long the court process takes: see the Massachusetts eviction timeline calculator.
Massachusetts eviction notice rules at a glance
| Rule | What Massachusetts says |
|---|---|
| Unpaid rent, at will | 14 days’ written notice to quit, with a 10-day right to pay once in 12 months (G.L. c.186, 12) |
| Unpaid rent, lease | 14 days’ written notice to quit; pay all rent, interest and costs by the answer day (186, 11) |
| No fault, monthly rent | The rent interval or 30 days, whichever is longer; or three months (186, 12) |
| No fault, weekly rent | 30 days; a rooming house with weekly rent, 7 days (186, 13) |
| Required wording | The right to pay within 10 days, in a rent notice to a tenant at will (186, 12) |
| Fixed lease | May sue no earlier than 30 days before the end date, with a registered-mail notice (c.239, 1A) |
| Government payment delay | Hearing continued at least 7 days (186, 11 and 12) |
| Federal notice | A covered dwelling may need 30 days (15 U.S.C. 9058(c)) |
How does the Massachusetts notice to quit work?
- Unpaid rent. See the Massachusetts 14-day notice to quit for unpaid rent.
- No-fault terminations, fixed-term leases and the length of notice. See Massachusetts no-fault and lease notices.
- What a landlord may not do. See Massachusetts illegal evictions.
What does this eviction notice calculator check?
It adds the days to the date the tenant received the notice. For a monthly tenancy with no fault it compares 30 days with one rent interval and uses the longer. The earliest filing day is the day after the period ends, moved to a day a court is open (G.L. c.4, 9). The statute does not move a weekend or holiday inside the notice period. It does not check the wording of the notice, how it was served or whether the landlord has a cause, and it also shows the 30-day federal date for a covered dwelling, which you should check with an attorney. Local rules and subsidized tenancies can add steps.
Related Massachusetts landlord-tenant calculators
These four calculators cover the same tenancy from different angles. From here you can go to the Massachusetts security deposit return deadline calculator for the date the landlord must refund or itemize the deposit, the Massachusetts security deposit limit calculator for the most a landlord may ask for as a deposit and the Massachusetts eviction timeline calculator for the earliest legal dates once an eviction case starts. Each one cites its own Massachusetts statutes and shows only what the law says.
Frequently asked questions
How much notice does a Massachusetts landlord have to give for unpaid rent?
Fourteen days’ written notice to quit.
Can a tenant stop the termination by paying?
A tenant at will who has not had a similar notice in 12 months can pay the full rent due within 10 days after receiving it; a tenant under a written lease can pay all rent, interest and costs by the answer day.
How much notice does a no-fault termination need?
The interval between rent payments or 30 days, whichever is longer, or three months.
What must a rent notice to a tenant at will say?
The statutory notification of the right to pay within 10 days.
Can a landlord file before the notice ends?
No. Possession may not be sought until the period has run.
Can a landlord change the locks after the notice period?
No. It needs a judgment and an execution served by an officer.
Official sources
- G.L. c.186, 12: notice to determine an estate at will
- G.L. c.186, 11: determination of lease for nonpayment of rent
- G.L. c.186, 13: recovery of possession after termination of tenancy at will
- G.L. c.239, 1A: action to recover possession before the end of a lease
- G.L. c.4, 9: acts due on a Sunday or legal holiday
- 15 U.S.C. 9058(c): 30-day notice to vacate for covered dwellings