Residential Eviction Laws in 40 U.S. Cities

Almost one million households are evicted from their homes each year in the United States. Eviction has been associated with poor physical and mental health outcomes, including high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, and stress. Additionally, the psychological distress associated with losing a home could lead to unhealthy behaviors, including smoking or adopting poor eating habits. Evictions may also perpetuate racial inequity since they disproportionately affect black renters.

The eviction process is regulated by a patchwork of state and local laws, including county and city-level codes and local court rules that govern the judicial process. These laws generally address the reasons why a landlord may evict their tenant, and include the circumstances in which a landlord must accept a tenant’s attempt to address a violation, requirements that dictate the notice tenants must receive in advance of an eviction, details of the legal process required to evict a tenant, and the rules that govern post-judgment proceedings.

This map identifies and displays key features of state, county, and city-level laws governing the residential eviction process in 40 U.S. cities — the 10 largest cities in the four Census regions — in effect as of August 1, 2018.

This dataset was created in collaboration with subject matter expert Dr. Megan E. Hatch, Associate Professor and Ph.D. Program Director, Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs, Cleveland State University, who conceptualized this project.