Landlord Entering Without Notice in Massachusetts: What Are My Rights?
This page explains when Massachusetts law lets your landlord enter your home, and what happens if they break these rules. It also covers your right to quiet enjoyment: using your home without your landlord interfering. It explains what to do if your landlord locks you out or tries to force you to leave without going to court.
-
Massachusetts law protects your right to quiet enjoyment of your home. This means you can use your home without your landlord interfering. A landlord who interferes with your quiet enjoyment is breaking the law.
✓ Sources checked September 24, 2026
-
Your landlord must arrange with you ahead of time before coming in to make repairs, inspect, or show your home to possible renters or buyers.
✓ Sources checked September 24, 2026
-
Your landlord can enter without your approval if there is a repair emergency that could damage the whole building. Your landlord can also enter if it looks like you have left the home for good.
✓ Sources checked September 24, 2026
-
Your lease cannot give your landlord the right to enter your home before your lease ends. It can only let them in to inspect, make repairs, or show it to a possible new renter, buyer, or lender.
✓ Sources checked September 24, 2026
-
Your landlord can also enter if it looks like you moved out and left the home empty. This is called abandonment (moving out and leaving the home empty).
✓ Sources checked September 24, 2026
-
Near the end of your rental, your landlord can enter to check for damage that could be taken out of your deposit. This is allowed in the last 30 days of your rental, or after either of you has given notice that your rental is ending.
✓ Sources checked September 24, 2026
-
Your landlord can also enter with a court order. Outside of a court order, they cannot use force to get into your home or to make you leave. They must bring a case in court first.
✓ Sources checked September 24, 2026
-
Your landlord cannot cut off your utilities (water, electric, gas, heat) if the lease requires them, or stop someone else from providing them. They also cannot lock you out of your home or use force to make you leave without going to court.
Massachusetts Attorney General Eviction Massachusetts General Court § 14 Massachusetts General Court § 18✓ Sources checked September 24, 2026
-
Your lease cannot take away your right to utilities (such as water, electric, and gas) or your right to quiet enjoyment. It also cannot take away your protection from being forced out without court. If your lease says you give up these rights, a court will not enforce that part of the lease.
✓ Sources checked September 24, 2026
-
Your landlord cannot punish you for reporting a problem. This includes your landlord cutting off your utilities (such as water, electric, and gas), locking you out, or interfering with your quiet enjoyment. Taking your landlord to court over this counts as reporting it too. Punishing you this way is called retaliation.
✓ Sources checked September 24, 2026
-
Write down the date and time your landlord entered without your permission or locked you out. Take photos if you can. This can help if you go to court.
-
If your landlord has already filed a case in court to remove you, that is a different process with its own notice and steps. See our eviction guide for what happens next.
-
If your landlord breaks these rules, you can take them to court. The court can order your landlord to pay your actual losses or 3 months' rent, whichever is more. For example, if your rent is $1,500 a month, 3 months' rent is $4,500. Your landlord must also pay your court costs and lawyer's fees.
✓ Sources checked September 24, 2026
-
Your landlord can also be fined $25 to $300, or jailed for up to 6 months, for breaking this law.
✓ Sources checked September 24, 2026
-
You can also ask a court to order your landlord to stop breaking the law, instead of or as well as asking for money.
✓ Sources checked September 24, 2026
Is something on this page wrong or out of date? Tell us.