Tenant Evictions are on the Rise in 2024

The latest data from the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, released in January, found that a record high 22.4 million renter households – or half of renters nationwide – were spending more than 30% of their income on rent in 2022. The number of affordable units – with rents under $600 – also dropped to 7.2 million that year, 2.1 million fewer than a decade earlier.

Those factors contributed to a dramatic rise in eviction filings and a record number of people becoming homeless.

“It’s one of the worst years we’ve ever seen,” said Whitney Airgood-Obrycki, a senior research associate at the Harvard center, who added that the level of cost-burdened households in 2022 had not been seen since the Great Recession in 2008, when 10 million Americans lost their homes to foreclosure.

After failing to make a significant dent in the problem over the last decade, state and federal lawmakers across the U.S. are making housing a priority in 2024 and throwing the kitchen sink at the issue – including proposals to enact eviction protections, institute zoning reforms, cap annual rent increases, and dedicate tens of billions of dollars toward building more housing.

The hardest hit have been renters who made less than $30,000, and who, after paying rent and utilities, were left with just $310 a month on average, Ms. Airgood-Obrycki said.

“So you can certainly imagine the kinds of tradeoffs that have to happen,” she said. “Cost-burden renters are spending less on things like food and health care and retirement. So, there are significant implications for the long-term well-being of these households.”

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO EVICT BY STATE

NEW JERSEY

From start to finish, an eviction in New Jersey can take approximately

3 weeks to 3 months.

NEW YORK

Evicting a tenant in New York can take around 1 to 5 months depending on the reason for the eviction.

ILLINOIS

From start to finish, an eviction in Illinois can be completed in 2 weeks to 5 months.

CALIFORNIA

From start to finish, an eviction in California can take around 5 to 8 weeks.

GEORGIA Evicting a tenant in Georgia can take around 1-3 months.

PENNSYLVANIA

Evicting a tenant in Pennsylvania can take around 1 to 2 months.

TEXAS Evicting a tenant in Texas can take around 1 to 3 months.

FLORIDA

From start to finish, an eviction in Florida can be completed in 2-3 weeks.

NORTH CAROLINA

Evicting a tenant in North Carolina can take around 1 to 3 months.

WASHINGTON D.C.

Evicting a tenant in Washington D.C. can take around 1 to 8 months.

ONTARIO, CANADA

To get through the entire process, it can currently take anywhere from 6 to 9 months.

ARIZONA

From start to finish, an eviction in Arizona can be completed in 1-6 weeks.

ALBERTA, CANADA

The eviction process typically takes 2 months.

OHIO

From start to finish, an eviction in Ohio can be completed in 5 to 8 weeks.

NEW HAMPSHIRE Evicting a tenant in New Hampshire can take around 1 to 2 months

VERMONT

Evicting a tenant in Vermont can take around 4 to 7 months.

MAINE

Evicting a tenant in Maine can take around 1 to 2 months

MARYLAND

Evicting a tenant in Maryland can take around 3 weeks to 5 months.

COLORADO

Evicting a tenant in Colorado can take around 2 weeks to 4 months.

WASHINGTON

Evicting a tenant in Washington can take about 1 to 3 months.

MISSOURI

Evicting a tenant in Missouri can take around 1 to 3 months.

MASSACHUSETTS

From start to finish, an eviction in Massachusetts can be completed in 1 to 4 months.

MICHIGAN

Evicting a tenant in Michigan can take around 2 weeks to 2 months

BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA

Evicting a tenant in BC can take around 10 days to 2 months.

LOUISIANA From start to finish, an eviction in Louisiana can be completed in 2 to 5 weeks.

TENNESSEE

In Tennessee, an eviction can be completed in 4 to 8 weeks

INDIANA

Evicting a tenant in Indiana can take around 3 weeks to 4 months

MINNESOTA

Evicting a tenant in Minnesota can take around 2 weeks to 3 months

CONNECTICUT

Evicting a tenant in Connecticut can take around 4 to 7 weeks,