In court-decided eviction outcomes for Nantucket, MA, tenants prevail in roughly 48.0% 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
213d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Nantucket, MA until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 213 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$11.5–26.4k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Nantucket, MA costs landlords $11,529 to $26,411 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$2,228
33% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Nantucket, MA is $2,228 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 33% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
19.2%
of households
19.2% of occupied housing units in Nantucket, 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
2.6%
6.6% unemp.
2.6% of Nantucket, MA residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 6.6%. 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 +36.9% (2024)
7.5
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
7.5
State political climate
Massachusetts legislature & governorship
6.2
Economic stress
2.6% poverty · 6.6% unemp.
5.0
Supply constraint
$2,228 average · 19.2% renters
7.1
Rent Control risk
32.8% of income on rent
7.9
Eviction process difficulty
213 days filing → judgment
5.7
Tenant organizing strength
19.2% renters
4.4
Housing court bias
County bench composition
5.1
Geographic context
Risk heat across Nantucket and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Nantucket compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Nantucket County
Very High
#1of 3 cities
#1 of 3 cities in Nantucket County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Massachusetts
Elevated
#64of 248 cities
#64 of 248 cities in Massachusetts for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
6
/ 10 · ELEVATED
The verdict
A Elevated-tier market.
Composite 6/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+3.0 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
213d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $2,228/mo. A contested eviction takes 213 days and costs $11,529–$26,411 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
19.2%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 10,017 residents, 19.2% rent. 33% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 2.6% 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 +36.9% (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 5.7, housing court bias 5.1, rent-control risk 7.9. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +0.7 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
5
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 5. Supply constraint: 7.1. The numbers behind those: 2.6% poverty, 6.6% unemployment, 33% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Nantucket sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Nantucket · 213d · ~$19.0k all-in ($89/day) · score 6National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Nantucket, Massachusetts, presents an elevated-friction market where documented notices and proactive screening matter. The Eviction Risk Score is 6/10 (ELEVATED 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 Elevated-friction market where lease drafting, screening discipline, and well-documented notices materially change outcomes.
Nantucket is a city of 10,017 residents where 19.2% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 32.8% of income on rent. At an average rent of $2,228/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 Nantucket eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 5.7/10, 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 Nantucket closes 213 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 Nantucket's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 5.1/10 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 Nantucket runs $11,529 to $26,411 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 213 days of typical timeline and $2,228/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 4.4/10 in Nantucket, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (7.9/10). 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 Nantucket: 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 ELEVATED 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 $26,411 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Nantucket
Trap · PRACTICAL TRAP
Compare Nantucket to neighboring cities in Nantucket County via the grid below. The 5.5/10 score is computed from nine sub-factors plus a state-law multiplier under MGL 239 + Housing Court. Nantucket County 2020 presidential margin: D+45.5. Cross-reference the state overview link in the guides section for Massachusetts statutory detail.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant in Nantucket for any reason?
No, Massachusetts does not have a statewide "just cause" eviction law, but you still need a legal reason. Common reasons include non-payment of rent, lease violations, or termination of an at-will tenancy with proper notice. You cannot evict someone without a valid legal basis and following the correct procedures under M.G.L. c. 186.
Q2
How much notice do I need to give a tenant to move out if I want to sell the property?
If the tenant has a lease, you must honor the lease terms unless there's a specific clause allowing early termination. For month-to-month or at-will tenants, you generally need to provide a 30-day notice to quit. Always consult an attorney to ensure you comply with all local and state regulations for proper notice.
Q3
What happens if I don't return the security deposit on time in Nantucket?
If you fail to return the security deposit or provide an itemized list of deductions within 30 days of the tenant vacating, you could be liable for triple the amount of the security deposit, plus the tenant's attorney fees and court costs. This is a severe penalty, so adhere strictly to the 30-day deadline.
Q4
Can I include a "no pets" clause in my Nantucket lease?
Generally, yes, you can include a "no pets" clause. However, you cannot deny a tenant with a service animal or emotional support animal if they provide proper documentation, as these are considered reasonable accommodations under fair housing laws. Always consult an attorney regarding specific animal policies.
Q5
Is "cash for keys" legal in Massachusetts?
Yes, "cash for keys" agreements are legal in Massachusetts. It's a voluntary agreement where you offer a tenant money to move out by a specific date, often to avoid the lengthy and costly eviction process. It should always be put in writing and signed by both parties to avoid misunderstandings.
A 6/10 places Nantucket in the 80th 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 Nantucket (6/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
