Eviction Self-Help Forms and Sample letters

Forms

Repair Demand Letter (Form 10)

Rent Withholding Letter (Form 12)

Repair and Deduct Letter (Form 13)

Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) (Form 15) You can use this form to ask a court to order your landlord to correct a problem, like making an emergency repair, or stop doing something illegal like locking you out of your apartment.
Or try the MassAccess interactive interview, Complaint for a Temporary Restraining Order, that lets you complete, review, sign and send your request for a Temporary Restraining Order to the court from your smart phone or computer.

Form 18 Lockout Demand (Form 18) Use this form if you have been locked out of your apartment illegally, or if your landlord has shutoff your utilities illegally.

Sample copy of a Summary Process Summons and Complaint(Form 19) This is what a summary process Summons and Complaint look like. If you receive this, immediately fill out Booklet 3. You have only a week or so to respond to the court.

 Motion to Allow Late Answer & Counterclaims Use this motion if you missed the Answer deadline and want to file an Answer.

Sample Execution(Form 21) An Execution is the document a landlord gets from court that gives him or her permission to have a constable move you out. This form may vary from court to court.

Motion to Dismiss (Form 20) Use this form if your landlord fails to follow the proper steps to terminate your tenancy or file an eviction case or if there is another reason that your case should be dismissed.

Sample Letter to Give to a Constable About Where to Bring Your Belongings

Booklets

Booklet 1 Representing Yourself (June 2017)

Booklet 2 Housing Code Checklist (May 2023)
An easy-to-use checklist that tells you what the minimum legal requirements for rental housing are under the State Sanitary Code.

Booklet 3 The Answer (January 2022)
The Answer is a court form that tenants facing evictions can file with the court to outline your legal claims and tell the court your side of the story. Or use Greater Boston Legal Services' free self-help guided interview, MADE, that asks you questions and helps you build the Answer you need to file at court.

Booklet 4 Discovery (January 2022)
A form with instructions for tenants facing eviction to use to request information from the landlord to prepare for your trial.

Booklet 4A Tenant Foreclosure Discovery (June 2017)

Booklet 5 Transfer (January 2022)
A form you can file to transfer your eviction case from a District Court to a Housing Court.

Booklet 6 Removing Default (January 2022)

Booklet 7 Appeals (June 2017)
If you lost your eviction trial and think you have a good case, you may appeal. This document tells you which Appeal form to use.

Booklet 7A Appeals In All Housing Courts (June 2017)
This is the appeal form to use if you lost your eviction case in a Massachusetts Housing Court or Superior Court.

Booklet 7B Appeals In All District Courts (June 2017)
This is the appeal form to use if you lost your eviction case in a District Court.

Booklet 8 Stay (January 2022)
A form tenants can use to ask a court for more time to move if you lost your eviction case or agreed to a court judgment to move out.

Booklet 9 Affidavit of Indigency (January 2022)

Booklet 10 Negotiating a Settlement of Your Case (June 2017)
includes a worksheet and stipulation forms to use when you go to court.

Booklet 11 Error Correction Booklet (June 2017) Correcting Errors in Your Online Court Record.
This booklet includes the court form you can save to your computer, fill out, save again and print when ready.

Eviction Storage Booklet