Taking Your Landlord to Court
This section has information for tenants bringing cases to court against their landlords.
Scroll down to articles and other content in this section below.
If you are facing an eviction, see Eviction.
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Chapter 13: When to Take Your Landlord to Court
This chapter from the Legal Tactics: Private Housing e-book walks you through some options for taking your landlord to court.
Chapter 14: Using the Court System
This chapter of the Legal Tactics: Private Housing e-book has basic information about the court system for tenants.
Criminal cases
Criminal cases are pursued by the district attorney's office on behalf of the citizens of the Commonwealth. They are violations of the law that carry criminal penalties. 11 Any person can file a criminal complaint with the court, or ask the...
Deciding Whether to Go to Court
Before you decide to go to court, think carefully about the following: Are there other ways to resolve your problem without going to court? What can the court do? What do you want the court to do? Do you have a good case? Whether the other...
Grounds for Filing a Civil Lawsuit
A civil lawsuit is any case that is not a criminal case. Most cases are civil lawsuits. If you want a judge to issue an order, you can file a civil suit asking for an injunction. You can file a lawsuit seeking money to compensate you for...
Grounds for Filing a Criminal Complaint
Some landlords act in ways that violate criminallaws. If your landlord breaks into your apartmentwithout your consent, assaults you, or commitsany other serious offense, call the police at once.Ask the police to seek a criminal...
Housing Forms, Checklists, and Letters
These forms, checklists, and letters are part of the Legal Tactics: Tenants' Rights in Massachusetts e-book. See also: "Representing Yourself in an Eviction" booklets with forms
The Massachusetts Court System
This section of the Legal Tactics: Private Housing e-book gives an overview of state courts in Massachusetts, with a focus on housing issues.
Who Should You Take to Court
When you file a complaint in court, you must be able to tell the court who the complaint is against. Most of the time, this will be easy. If the landlord has violated the law, you will want to file a complaint against the landlord. However...