Andrea Park, MLRI attorney

Massachusetts tenants and landlords struggle with eviction process after moratoriums end

Andrea Park, Housing and Homelessness Staff Attorney at Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, was quoted in an Oct. 31 SouthCoast Today article.

A state law from January stipulates that landlords are required to notify their tenants of programs that can help them meet rent or avoid eviction. When a landlord begins the eviction process, they must file for eviction, after proving they have provided legal notice to quit.

But that notice — which notifies the end of tenancy — is written in legal jargon that is difficult to understand. Tenants will not fully understand the process and move out without an understanding of their rights and government programs that can help avoid eviction, according to Andrea Park, an attorney at Massachusetts Law Reform Institute.

When a tenant gets taken to court, even if the case is resolved, the tenant will have an eviction record, which could bar them from securing a housing lease in the future, according to Park.

Read more in SouthCoast Today.