Plymouth County Landlord-Tenant Law

Plymouth County Local Ordinances

Plymouth County has no county-wide landlord-tenant ordinances. Local rules apply at the municipal level.

Last verified: 2026-03-15

Massachusetts Eviction Laws

State statutes that apply in Plymouth County

A Landlord’s Guide to Renting in Plymouth County, Massachusetts

Plymouth County is southeastern Massachusetts’s largest county by area, a 661-square-mile expanse stretching from Brockton’s urban density in the north through the historic town of Plymouth — where the Pilgrims landed in 1620 — south to the Wareham shore of Buzzards Bay. The county’s 526,000 residents live across a landscape that encompasses one of Massachusetts’s most challenged Gateway Cities, a broad band of South Shore commuter suburbs, historic coastal communities, and the cranberry bogs and pine forests of the county’s rural interior. For landlords, Plymouth County offers market opportunities across the full spectrum from urban working-class to affluent coastal, anchored by consistent demand from a large and growing population whose housing options are constrained by limited supply throughout the South Shore corridor.

Brockton: Gateway City Anchor

Brockton, with a population of approximately 105,000, is Plymouth County’s largest city and one of Massachusetts’s most significant Gateway Cities. The city has a majority-minority population with large Cape Verdean, Haitian, and African-American communities whose working households form the backbone of the city’s rental demand. Brockton’s economic challenges are real — poverty rates are elevated, the manufacturing base has contracted significantly from its shoe industry peak, and public services have faced persistent fiscal pressure. At the same time, the city has genuine economic anchors: Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital is a major employer, the city’s MBTA commuter rail connection to Boston’s South Station makes it accessible to Boston’s employment market, and the healthcare and service sectors provide year-round employment that anchors consistent rental demand.

The rental market in Brockton offers the lowest acquisition prices in the county alongside the highest operational demands. Well-maintained properties in desirable neighborhoods with thorough tenant screening achieve consistent occupancy from working-class tenants whose primary income comes from healthcare, retail, construction, and the service sector. Brockton’s active code enforcement program means that property condition is monitored — landlords who stay current with maintenance and Sanitary Code compliance operate without friction. Those who do not face regulatory consequences in a city that takes housing quality seriously.

The South Shore Commuter Belt

Between Brockton and the coast, a band of working and middle-class communities — Abington, Rockland, Whitman, Hanover, Pembroke, and Bridgewater — forms Plymouth County’s most active conventional rental market. These communities serve the South Shore commuter population whose members work in Boston and the Route 3 employment corridor and whose housing choices are constrained by the South Shore’s chronically limited rental inventory. Demand is consistent and vacancy rates low throughout this corridor. Bridgewater State University adds an academic dimension to the Bridgewater market, generating student and faculty housing demand that supplements the broader commuter market.

Historic Plymouth and the South Coast

Plymouth, the county seat and America’s oldest town, has a rental market shaped by its historical tourism economy, its growing residential population attracted by recent development along the waterfront and in the surrounding communities, and its position at the end of the Route 3 commuter corridor. The town’s population has grown significantly over the past two decades as housing development has responded to demand from Boston commuters willing to travel the distance for more affordable housing. The coastal communities south of Plymouth — Kingston, Duxbury, Marshfield, and Carver — offer a blend of year-round residential demand and seasonal recreation appeal along the Massachusetts coast.

Wareham and the Buzzards Bay Shore

Wareham, at the county’s southern edge where Plymouth County meets Barnstable County at the base of Cape Cod, is a community shaped by its position as the gateway to the Cape and its extensive shoreline on Buzzards Bay and its ponds and lakes. The town has a mix of year-round working-class residents and seasonal cottagers whose property ownership reflects decades of summer colony development. The rental market in Wareham serves both year-round working families and seasonal visitors, with the seasonal market requiring attention to local short-term rental regulations. Marion and Mattapoisett, smaller coastal communities to the west, have distinctive maritime character and premium pricing that reflects their desirability among South Shore waterfront seekers.

Massachusetts Law in Plymouth County

All residential tenancies in Plymouth County are governed by MGL Chapter 186 and Chapter 239. The Southeastern Housing Court, sitting in Brockton (with sessions in Plymouth), handles summary process (eviction) matters for Plymouth County. Massachusetts’s full statutory framework applies throughout — the 14-day nonpayment notice, security deposit rules, anti-retaliation protections, and Sanitary Code compliance. Brockton’s active code enforcement makes Sanitary Code compliance particularly important for landlords operating within city limits. The South Shore commuter market’s strong demand and the county’s geographic diversity create genuine investment opportunities across the risk-return spectrum — from Brockton’s working-class urban yields to the South Shore’s stable professional markets to the coastal communities’ seasonal and year-round premium demand.

Neighboring Massachusetts Counties

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