Preemption Notice

This local rule is preempted in part by Mass. Gen. Laws c. 40P (Mass. Gen. Laws c. 40P) for certain properties in this jurisdiction.

Preemption Notice

This local rule is preempted in part by Mass. Gen. Laws c. 40P (Mass. Gen. Laws c. 40P) for mobile home park.

Kingston, Mass., Code of Bylaws ch 440 § 440-11

Evictions (Kingston Manufactured Home Park Regulations)

In Force
Verified 11/11/2026 · Next check 12/11/2026
KingstonRent Control

Operative Text

Kingston, Mass., Code of Bylaws ch 440 § 440-11
A. Pursuant to the provisions of MGL c. 140, § 32J , as amended, no owner shall bring an action to recover possession of a manufactured housing community accommodation unless: (1) The tenant has failed to pay the rent to which the owner is entitled; or (2) The tenant is in substantial violation of an enforceable rule of the mobile home park; or (3) The tenant is in violation of a law or ordinance which protects the health or safety of other manufactured housing community residents; or (4) There is discontinuance in good faith by the owner of the use of part or all of the land owned and licensed as a manufactured housing community subject to any existing contractual right between the owner and the tenant located in the manufactured housing community. No such discontinuance shall be valid for any manufactured home sold by the licensee and for which a manufactured home site was made available at the time of the said sale by the licensee for a period of five years from the date of said sale. B. The owner must provide the Board with satisfactory evidence that all notice requirements as to any alleged violation have been provided to the tenant in a timely manner and the tenant has failed to cure the alleged violation in a timely manner, all as set forth in MGL c. 140, § 32J , as amended. C. Certificate of eviction. (1) An owner shall file an application in duplicate for obtaining a certificate of eviction, with a filing fee of $50 for each unit for which eviction is sought. The fee shall be paid by check or money order made payable to the Town of Kingston and presented at the time of filing the application for a certificate of eviction. (2) An application for certificate of eviction shall be signed by the owner under the penalties of perjury and shall describe in complete detail the proposed basis (or bases) for eviction and the facts in support of such basis (or bases). A copy of the lease and the rules and regulations of the manufactured housing community owner shall be submitted with the application where the tenant is claimed to have violated either the lease or the park regulations. (3) An application for certificate of eviction which fails to comply with the foregoing provisions of this Subsection C shall not be processed until such defects have been corrected or removed. (4) The Board shall, by certified mail, return receipt requested, forward to the tenant or tenants listed on the application for a certificate of eviction and to the park owner a copy of the application for a certificate of eviction, as received, together with a notice of the date, time and place of the hearing. (5) An application or an amended application for eviction shall be scheduled for a hearing not less than 10 calendar days or more than 21 calendar days from the date on which the notice of hearing is mailed as aforesaid by the Board to the parties. Hearings shall be conducted by the Board and shall be adjudicator hearings following the procedures set forth in MGL c. 30A . (6) A request for postponement of the hearing will be granted for good cause shown. (7) At the hearing, the owner shall have the burden of establishing the facts and basis for the eviction. Testimony shall be taken under oath, and any party shall have the right to cross-examine witnesses of the other party and to introduce evidence in support of its position. (8) A written order granting or denying a certificate of eviction shall be issued by the Board within 30 calendar days of the date of the final hearing, and its order denying a certificate of eviction shall be a defense in any summary process action commenced by the owner against the tenant or tenants named on the application for a certificate of eviction. D. An owner who seeks to recover possession of a manufactured housing community accommodation without a certificate of eviction shall be deemed to have violated the Kingston Manufactured Housing Accommodations Board Rent Control Bylaw. E. The provisions of this section shall be construed as additional restrictions on the right to recover possession of a mobile home park accommodation. No provision of this section shall entitle any person to recover possession of such a mobile home park accommodation. Upon a decision of said Board concerning the granting or withholding of a certificate of eviction, either party concerned may appeal to the Plymouth County District Court or the Superior Court, Department of the Trial Court, Plymouth Division, within 30 calendar days after such decision.
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Kingston, Mass., Code of Bylaws CH. 440 § 440-11 establishes that owners of manufactured housing communities may only seek to evict tenants for specific reasons: nonpayment of rent, substantial violation of enforceable park rules, violation of health or safety laws affecting other residents, or a good-faith discontinuance of the land's use as a manufactured housing community. Before pursuing eviction, an owner must obtain a certificate of eviction from the Kingston Manufactured Housing Accommodations Board by filing an application, paying a $50 fee per unit, and attending a formal hearing. The Board issues a written decision within 30 days of the final hearing, and either party may appeal to Plymouth County District Court or Superior Court within 30 days of that decision.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on November 11, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Under CH. 440 § 440-11, compliant operators limit eviction actions to the grounds enumerated in the bylaw and obtain a certificate of eviction from the Board before commencing any summary process action. The application must be signed under penalty of perjury, describe the basis for eviction in complete detail, include supporting documentation such as the lease and park rules where applicable, and be accompanied by a $50 filing fee per unit payable to the Town of Kingston. Operators also ensure that all required notices of alleged violations were provided to the tenant in a timely manner and that the tenant had an opportunity to cure before the application is filed.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

CH. 440 § 440-11 limits the grounds on which an owner may seek to remove a tenant from a manufactured housing community and requires the owner to first obtain a certificate of eviction from the Kingston Manufactured Housing Accommodations Board. Tenants listed on an eviction application are notified by certified mail and have the right to attend the hearing, cross-examine witnesses, and present evidence. A Board order denying a certificate of eviction serves as a defense in any subsequent court action, and tenants may consult a tenant-rights organization or seek legal assistance to understand available options, including appealing a Board decision to Plymouth County District Court within 30 days.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated November 11, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

Effective Timeline

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References Out

Rules and statutes cited by this regulation

Mass. Gen. Laws c. 14
Not yet ingested
Mass. Gen. Laws c. 140 § 32J
Not yet ingested
Mass. Gen. Laws c. 30A
Not yet ingested

References In

Rules and statutes that cite this regulation

MA Muni § 440-6
MA Muni § 440-4
MA Muni § 440-4
MA Muni § 440-6
MA Muni § 440-3
MA Muni § 440-6

Related Rules

§ 1
Title
§ 4
General prohibition; exception
§ 5
Preemption

Source Information

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