Mass. Gen. Laws c. 121B § 32C
Unlawful conduct by tenant, members or non-members of tenant household; civil action by landlord for injunctive or other equitable relief
Operative Text
Section 32C. Whenever a person who is not a member of a tenant household has, on or near a public housing development or a subsidized housing development: (a) caused serious physical harm to a member of a tenant household or employee of the landlord or any other person lawfully on the premises of the housing authority; (b) intentionally, willfully, and repeatedly destroyed, vandalized, or stolen property of a member of a tenant household or of the landlord or any other person lawfully on the premises of the housing authority; (c) intentionally and willfully destroyed, vandalized, or stolen property of a member of a tenant household or of the landlord or any other person lawfully on the premises of the housing authority and attempted to seriously physically harm a member of a tenant household or employee of the landlord or any other person lawfully on the premises of the housing authority; (d) possessed or carried a weapon in violation of section 10 of chapter 269 or possessed or used an explosive or infernal machine, as such as defined in section 102A of chapter 266 with the exception of fire-crackers or violated any other provision of section 101, 102, 102A or 102B of said chapter 266; (e) unlawfully sold or possessed with intent to distribute a controlled substance as established as Class A, B, C, or D in section 31 of chapter 94C; or (f) committed or repeatedly threatened to commit a battery upon a person or damaged or repeatedly threatened to commit damage to the property of another for the purpose of intimidation because of the person's race, color, religion, or national origin or on account of the person's participation in an eviction proceeding; the landlord of such premises may bring a civil action for injunctive or other appropriate equitable relief in order to prohibit the person from entering or remaining in or upon the public or subsidized housing development, unless there is cause to believe that such unlawful conduct is unlikely to continue or to pose a serious threat to the health or safety of the development, the tenant households at such development, or the employees of the landlord. Whenever a tenant or member of a tenant's household residing in a public or subsidized housing development has caused or threatened to cause harm to another tenant, an employee of the landlord, or any other person who is known or believed to be a witness in an eviction against the tenant, the landlord may bring a civil action for injunctive or other appropriate equitable relief in order to protect the witness from harm threatened by the tenant or member of the tenant household. Nothing in this section shall be read to limit the civil and criminal remedies otherwise available under section thirty-nine of chapter two hundred and sixty-five or section one hundred and twenty-seven B of chapter two hundred and sixty-six.
Mass. Gen. Laws c. 121B § 32C establishes a civil legal mechanism that allows landlords of public or subsidized housing to seek court-ordered injunctive or equitable relief against non-household members who have engaged in serious misconduct on or near the development, such as causing physical harm, repeated vandalism, illegal weapons possession, controlled substance distribution, or bias-motivated threats. A similar civil action is available when a tenant or household member threatens or harms a witness in an eviction proceeding. The provision does not replace or limit other civil or criminal remedies that may be available under separate Massachusetts statutes.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Mass. Gen. Laws c. 121B § 32C, landlords of public or subsidized housing developments who document qualifying misconduct by a non-household member—such as physical harm, repeated property destruction, illegal weapons or drug activity, or intimidation of eviction witnesses—generally pursue civil court action seeking an injunction to bar that individual from the premises. Operators typically maintain thorough incident records, police reports, and witness statements to support such a filing, and note that the court may decline relief if it finds the unlawful conduct is unlikely to continue or pose a serious ongoing threat. The section also authorizes civil action when a tenant or household member threatens a witness in an eviction proceeding, giving landlords a distinct legal pathway in that circumstance.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Mass. Gen. Laws c. 121B § 32C grants landlords a civil enforcement tool, but it also reflects protections for tenants and others lawfully on the premises who have been harmed by non-household members engaging in violence, vandalism, weapons offenses, drug distribution, or bias-motivated intimidation. Tenants who believe an injunction sought under this section affects their household, or who are themselves the subject of such an action, may wish to consult a tenant-rights organization or legal aid provider familiar with Massachusetts public and subsidized housing law to understand available defenses and procedural rights. The provision expressly preserves all other civil and criminal remedies under Massachusetts law, meaning affected individuals are not limited solely to the mechanisms described in § 32C.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 30, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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