In court-decided eviction outcomes for Burlington, MA, tenants prevail in roughly 44.8% of contested cases. A higher number means landlords face stronger tenant defenses, longer calendars, and more required documentation, and landlord-friendliness drops as this rises.
Timeline
214d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Burlington, MA until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 214 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$10.8-30.9k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Burlington, MA costs landlords $10,758 to $30,943 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$2,718
31% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Burlington, MA is $2,718 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 31% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
25.8%
of households
25.8% of occupied housing units in Burlington, MA are renter-occupied (vs owner-occupied). A higher renter share usually correlates with more eviction filings, more turnover, and a more active rental market.
Poverty
5.6%
3.6% unemp.
5.6% of Burlington, MA residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 3.6%. Both feed into the economic-stress sub-score in our Eviction Risk Score model because rent payment problems track poverty + joblessness more reliably than any other single signal.
Time machine
Scrub 50 years
197619861996200620162026
2026
● LIVE · today◀ REPLAY · historical
Nine-axis profile
9-axis profile · today
Shape of the risk surface
1 landlord · 10 tenant
Sub-scores · with sparkline
Where the score comes from
1 → 10 scale
Local political climate
Dem margin +39.5% (2024)
7.5
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
7.5
State political climate
Massachusetts legislature & governorship
6.2
Economic stress
5.6% poverty · 3.6% unemp.
4.4
Supply constraint
$2,718 average · 25.8% renters
7.7
Rent Control risk
30.5% of income on rent
6.0
Eviction process difficulty
214 days filing → judgment
6.0
Tenant organizing strength
25.8% renters
5.7
Housing court bias
County bench composition
4.7
Geographic context
Risk heat across Burlington and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Burlington compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Middlesex County
Low
#23of 35 cities
#23 of 35 cities in Middlesex County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Massachusetts
Low
#167of 248 cities
#167 of 248 cities in Massachusetts for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
5.3
/ 10 · MODERATE
The verdict
A Moderate-tier market.
Composite 5.3/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+3.4 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
214d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $2,718/mo. A contested eviction takes 214 days and costs $10,758-$30,943 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
25.8%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 26,274 residents, 25.8% rent. 31% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 5.6% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
7.5
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 7.5 and 7.5 (Dem margin +39.5% (2024)). State climate at 6.2, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
6.2
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 6.2/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 6, housing court bias 4.7, rent-control risk 6. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +1.0 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
4.4
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 4.4. Supply constraint: 7.7. The numbers behind those: 5.6% poverty, 3.6% unemployment, 31% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Burlington sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Burlington · 214d · ~$20.9k all-in ($97/day) · score 5.3National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0-4 4-7 7-10
Landlording in Burlington, Massachusetts, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 5.3/10 (MODERATE tier), drawn from the nine sub-axes shown above, covering rent-control exposure, eviction-process difficulty, housing-court bias, tenant-organizing strength, supply constraint, economic stress, and local, regional, and state political climate. This is not a quick-fix market: it's a Mid-tier market where lease drafting, screening discipline, and well-documented notices materially change outcomes.
Burlington is a city of 26,274 residents where 25.8% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 30.5% of income on rent. At an average rent of $2,718/month, the typical renter household here spends more than the federal 30% threshold on housing, a leading indicator of payment volatility and a precondition for the kinds of tenant defenses that show up most often in housing court.
01Process
How Burlington eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 6/10, a number that combines statutory complexity (notice categories, just-cause rules, mandatory pre-filing disclosures) with operational realities (court calendar length and clerk responsiveness). The typical contested filing in Burlington closes 214 days after the initial notice. For non-payment of rent the first step is a properly-formatted, properly-served pay-or-quit notice; for material lease breaches it's a cure-or-quit; for tenancies under just-cause protection an at-fault grounds notice (or a no-fault notice with statutory relocation assistance) is required.
The slow part of Burlington's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 4.7/10 here, meaning judges read borderline procedural defects in the tenant's favor more often than the national norm. The practical implication: every notice and every proof of service needs to be airtight before it gets filed.
02Cost
What it costs (and how long it takes)
An all-in eviction in Burlington runs $10,758 to $30,943 per case once you account for filing fees, attorney time, lost rent during pendency, sheriff lockout, and unit turnover. That range is wide because the upper bound assumes a tenant answer plus motion practice, common when housing court bias is high. The lower bound assumes a default judgment after proper service.
For landlords running the numbers on holding costs vs. cash-for-keys: if your projected timeline times your monthly rent already exceeds the high-end cost number, cash-for-keys at 1-2 months' rent is typically the economically rational choice. With 214 days of typical timeline and $2,718/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 5.7/10 in Burlington, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (6/10). Operations practice that survives audit in this environment looks like:
Screening discipline. Document income (verified at 2.5 to 3x rent), credit (with a clear minimum), and prior-tenancy reference checks, but do not screen on protected categories or source-of-income where banned. Keep a written, consistent screening criteria document for every applicant.
Lease specificity. Use a state-specific lease that names every term clearly: rent due date, late fees within statutory caps, deposit handling, smoke and CO disclosure, lead paint disclosure (pre-1978 stock), and a clean attorney's-fees clause.
Security deposit handling. Itemize deductions within the statutory window. Photograph move-in/move-out condition. In Massachusetts, deposit cap and refund window are statute, so exceed them at your own risk.
Mid-tenancy documentation. Keep date-stamped records of every rent receipt, every habitability request, every notice served. The day you need them in court is too late to start.
04Strategy
What an everyday landlord should actually do here
If you own one to four units in Burlington: hire a property manager who knows the local court. The pricing differential between self-managing and hiring out is small relative to the cost of one botched eviction in a MODERATE tier market. If you own five or more: build relationships with a local landlord-side attorney before you need one, since retainer fees are negligible compared to emergency-rate billing when an eviction is already moving.
The avoidable mistakes here are all upstream of the filing: weak screening, an informal lease, sloppy rent receipts, and notice templates pulled off the internet that don't match Massachusetts's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $30,943 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Burlington
Trap · PRACTICAL TRAP
Cost-versus-timeline trade-off: at 214 days and roughly $30,943 on the high end, cash-for-keys at $12,377 to $18,565 typically beats the legal route for non-aggravated cases. Default judgment frequency is high under MGL 239 + Housing Court.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant in Burlington for non-payment if they only pay part of the rent?
Generally, no. If you accept a partial payment after issuing a 14-day notice to quit for non-payment, you may waive your right to evict based on that notice. You'd likely have to issue a new notice. It's often safer to refuse partial payments and insist on the full amount, or pursue a cash-for-keys agreement.
Q2
What if my tenant claims there are issues with the property? Can they withhold rent?
Massachusetts law allows tenants to withhold rent if a landlord fails to make repairs that affect the tenant's health or safety, after proper notice and a reasonable time to fix. This is a common defense in eviction cases. Always address repair requests promptly and in writing. Document all communication and repairs made.
Q3
How quickly can I get a tenant out if they're causing damage?
If a tenant is causing significant damage, you might be able to issue a 30-day notice to quit for cause. However, proving "damage" in court to justify an eviction can be difficult and often requires substantial evidence. For egregious or ongoing damage, consult an attorney to determine the best course of action and notice type.
Q4
Is rent control a risk in Burlington?
Currently, there is no rent control in Burlington or statewide in Massachusetts. However, the sub-score for rent-control-risk is 6, indicating a moderate risk. Massachusetts has seen attempts to reintroduce rent control in various forms. While not active now, it's something to monitor in the future. See our Massachusetts rent control rules for more.
Q5
Can I charge late fees in Burlington?
Yes, but Massachusetts law is specific. You cannot charge a late fee until rent is at least 30 days overdue. Any late fee must be reasonable and stipulated in your lease agreement. Don't try to charge a per-day fee or an excessive lump sum; it likely won't hold up in court.
A 5.3/10 places Burlington in the 33rd percentile of Massachusetts cities on the Eviction Risk Score index. The score is the average of the nine sub-axes, all calibrated on a national 1 to 10 scale where 1 is most landlord-friendly and 10 is most tenant-protective. The 50-year reconstruction shows this score has risen sharply since 1976, a structural drift driven by court-calendar growth, rent-control adoption, and the rise of tenant-side legal aid. The trajectory matters more than the snapshot: the score is the climate, not the weather.
Cities with similar eviction risk to Burlington (5.3/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
