I have a family member in need of housing, so I need to give notice to one of my tenants. We have a month-to-month agreement. In MA what are the steps that I need to take, and do I need to go thru Housing Court?

As Ken mentioned it not wise to rent to family or friends because when things go south YOU aka the rich greedy uncaring LL will always be the bad guy.

That being said your first step with a tenancy at will aka a MTM tenancy is to give a full rental period or 30 days whichever is longer written notice of your intent to terminate the existing rental agreement. This must be given prior to or on the day that the rent is due. If they don't leave, then you will have to follow through by summoning them into either your local district court of local housing court.

After the 1994 Northridge earthquake, over 20% of rentals were not safe so there was a shortage of rentals. Two of my close good friends of many years begged me for a place to stay for 3 to 6 months, maximum. And a cousin also needed a place to stay while his House was getting repaired.

So being in my early 30's I decided I could help my friends and one family member. The rents at those times were around $900 per month for a 2 bedroom unit with parking. I agreed to allow them to each have an apartment for only $500 per month, for the first 3 months of their stay, then it would revert to the current market rate of $900 per month.

I got the first $500 from the three. I gave each of the three an apartment in different buildings I own. Then after that I did not receive a single dime more in rent. I took them to eviction court and this is what I was able to prove:

Each applied to FEMA for Rent Grants. And each received at least $1,000 per month in free grants. Two got the grants for 7 to 9 months while the third got grants for over a year.

When I had to take them after evicting them to Small Claims Court, the judge ruled that my lease started at only $500 a month so that is all I will get, not the market rate after the first 3 months. It took me around 4 years to get the back money. And these three were all college graduates and had high paying jobs.

Meaning from my story, if you give someone an "inch" to take advantage of you, then they will try to get a "foot" or "Yard". My fault for being so trusting.

I got started in RE because my mother-in-law was renting slums and I knew I could do better for her. She is still with us, renting for the same price as over 20 years ago. In her third and last place.

I have rented to cousins, one was bad, others were fine. One I set up so she could bail from an abusive relationship and now she is buying the place on contract.

Currently rent to both my kids. One is at her second place with us and is buying a house finally. The other just re-left the nest and is in an apartment.

Renting to family has its ups and downs. For me, I have been pretty lucky with it. The one that failed was destined to fail. I tried even tho the odds were dismal. She has long since moved on and failed at everything else she has done.