Letter template

A plain-English response to a Notice to Quit or a Housing Court summons.

A short letter you can fill in and mail to your landlord when you have just received a Notice to Quit, a Housing Court summons, or a no-fault notice to quit. It acknowledges the notice and the answer window, confirms the tenancy start and the rent ledger, documents the ongoing habitability defects, requests the cure or continuance that applies, and closes with a brief reference to state tenant protections — without legal advice.

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If any of these feel like you

You do not need to walk this response alone.

If this is your first time facing an eviction response, an older adult doing this on your own, an ESL caller, an ITIN-only tenant, or a person reentering after incarceration — Plainpath walks the response with you, line by line. Start a housing intake or read the Housing FAQ before you mail.

When to send this letter

Read this before you mail.

  • Send within the answer window printed on the notice. A 14-day notice typically gives you 14 days from the date it was served, but check the date on the front of your copy first — the postmark on the receipt is the record a Housing Court reads.
  • Send by certified mail with return receipt requested, and keep the post office receipt stapled to a copy of the letter. The postmark and the signed receipt are what a housing court reads if the date is ever disputed.
  • Keep the envelope too. Postal-date-stamping on the envelope is the backup record if the postmark on the receipt looks wrong.
  • Do not use this letter as a substitute for legal advice. For advice on your specific case, see masslegalhelp.org or walk in to the Housing Court Self-Help Center.
  • If you have an active housing-court docket, file a copy of this letter with the clerk's office so it sits next to the docket sheet.

Notice to Quit — response letter

A clear response to a Notice to Quit or a Housing Court summons.

Fill in the seven lines at the top, sign at the bottom, and send by certified mail with return receipt requested. Keep the post office receipt stapled to a copy — the date stamp is what a Housing Court reads if the date on the notice is ever disputed.

Today's date:

To (landlord):

Re: Unit at

Started on:

Monthly rent:

Last rent paid:

Habitability:

I am writing in response to the Notice to Quit I received on (or to the Housing Court summons dated ) regarding the unit listed above. I am sending this letter within the answer window printed on the front of that notice, and I am keeping a copy on file with the postage, the envelope, and the date it was postmarked.

I have lived in the unit continuously since the start date listed above. The rent has been the same monthly amount for that time, and I have not changed the terms of the tenancy. The unit is the primary residence for myself and the household members listed on the lease, and I am happy to confirm the tenancy in writing or in person at any reasonable time.

On the rent ledger: the most recent rent I paid was on in the amount of . I have receipts for months of on-time payment and no unpaid balance on the unit, to my knowledge. If any balance is being claimed against me, please send the itemized ledger, the dates, and the method of payment that was missed so I can review it and respond in writing with whatever receipts or corrections apply.

On habitability: the unit has ongoing defects that affect the health and safety of my household. Specifically: . I have reported each defect to the landlord and to the local board of health, and I have kept copies of each report with dates. Under the Massachusetts State Sanitary Code (105 CMR 410) and Chapter 93A, a landlord is required to maintain a fit and habitable unit, and a rent-withholding or repair-and-deduct response is available where the conditions meet the statutory standard. This letter is a written record of my report, not a waiver of any remedy.

I am respectfully requesting that the defects above be cured within days, that the cure be documented in writing with photos and the date the work was finished, and that any rent that is currently in escrow be released back to me in monthly order. If a continuance or a stay of execution is appropriate on the housing court docket, I am asking the court to consider it. If any relocation assistance, RAFT, or HomeBASE benefit applies to my household based on the condition of the unit or the reason given in the notice, please point me to the specific Mass.gov resource and the application that needs to be returned so I can complete it on time.

For reference, Massachusetts tenant-protection statutes — including M.G.L. c. 186 (tenancies at will and for years) and M.G.L. c. 239 (summary process, the eviction docket, and the answer-window rules) — describe the notice, answer, and continuance requirements that apply to a Notice to Quit. This letter is not legal advice. For advice on your specific case, Massachusetts Legal Assistance for Reform publishes plain-language guides at masslegalhelp.org, and the Housing Court Self-Help Center is open to walk-in questions.

Thank you for your attention. I will follow up in writing within fourteen days if I do not hear back. I am sending this letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so we both have a record of the date it was sent and the date it was received, and I am keeping a copy on file to file with the Housing Court clerk if there is an active docket.

Sincerely,

Printed name:

Unit / date:

Contact phone:

Recommended:send by certified mail, return receipt requested. Keep the post office receipt stapled to a copy of this letter with the envelope it was mailed in. If there is an active housing-court docket, file a copy of this letter with the clerk's office so it sits next to the docket sheet.

Want help drafting or a second pair of eyes on what you wrote? Start a Plainpath housing intake — we help you read your notice, draft the response, and plan the next fourteen days. In person across the Commonwealth or by video.

Gathering documents first? Print the Housing checklist and read the Housing FAQ.

After your session, want to share a thought? Leave a quick note — anonymous, no name, no email.

Looking for the official starting point first? Open the resource library — articles, checklists, FAQs, and guides in one place.

Open the resource library