Landlords can deny you housing because you’ve been to court for an eviction case. Even if you won a decision, were retaliated against, or found not at fault, you may still have a record. Check if you have a record on masscourts.org and learn more about eviction sealing here!
Massachusetts legalized the sealing of eviction records in May 2025, allowing tenants who meet certain requirements — such as not having another eviction soon after the initial one — to have their court records sealed. A record of an eviction case is a barrier that can have long-term impacts on someone's ability to secure affordable, stable housing. As soon as an eviction case is filed, a tenant has an eviction record even if the case was dismissed, filed on unlawful grounds, or occurred many years ago. Massachusetts’s new eviction sealing law protects tenants from being marked with an eviction record for life by providing a process for them to petition the court to seal certain records.
Mass Fair Housing and Springfield No One Leaves (SNOL) jointly received a $55,000 grant from the Attorney General's Office to hold clinics to help tenants understand what it takes to seal eviction records. At these clinics, lawyers and staff are on site to help tenants understand their eviction history, the steps they need to take to seal those records and, if applicable, seal those records on the spot. They can also find records tenants had no idea were filed.
Here are our upcoming clinics and registration links:
Ware, September 1, 2026, 11-1 at the E2E Center, 79 Main Street, Ware, MA with SNOL and the Quaboag Valley CDC
Worcester, September 14, 2026, 11-1 at 18 Chestnut Street, Worcester, MA with Worcester Community Action Council
Southbridge, October 8, 2026, 11-1 at 219 Everett Street, Southbridge, MA with Worcester Community Action Council