Estimated values: The U.S. Census suppresses field-level data for small places. Estimated from county average, pop-weighted from real underlying ACS data.
Tenant beats landlord
16.6%
/ 100 outcomes
In court-decided eviction outcomes for Bellamy, AL, tenants prevail in roughly 16.6% 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
31d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Bellamy, AL until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 31 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.0–3.0k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Bellamy, AL costs landlords $963 to $3,011 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$638
35% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Bellamy, AL is $638 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 35% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
39.3%
of households
39.3% of occupied housing units in Bellamy, AL 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
18.4%
11.4% unemp.
18.4% of Bellamy, AL residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 11.4%. 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 +41.2% (2024)
7.7
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
7.7
State political climate
Alabama legislature & governorship
1.8
Economic stress
18.4% poverty · 11.4% unemp.
4.3
Supply constraint
$638 average · 39.3% renters
7.6
Rent Control risk
34.8% of income on rent
1.0
Eviction process difficulty
31 days filing → judgment
1.3
Tenant organizing strength
39.3% renters
7.6
Housing court bias
County bench composition
1.0
Geographic context
Risk heat across Bellamy and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Bellamy compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Sumter County
Very Low
#8of 8 cities
#8 of 8 cities in Sumter County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Alabama
Moderate
#324of 593 cities
#324 of 593 cities in Alabama for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.1
/ 10 · VERY LOW
The verdict
A Very low-tier market.
Composite 2.1/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend-1.3 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
31d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $638/mo. A contested eviction takes 31 days and costs $963–$3,011 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
39.3%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 158 residents, 39.3% rent. 35% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 18.4% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
7.7
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 7.7 and 7.7 (Dem margin +41.2% (2024)). State climate at 1.8, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
1.8
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 1.8/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 1.3, housing court bias 1, rent-control risk 1. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.7 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
4.3
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 4.3. Supply constraint: 7.6. The numbers behind those: 18.4% poverty, 11.4% unemployment, 35% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Bellamy sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Bellamy · 31d · ~$2.0k all-in ($64/day) · score 2.1National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Bellamy, Alabama, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.1/10 (VERY LOW 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 Mid-tier market where lease drafting, screening discipline, and well-documented notices materially change outcomes.
Bellamy is a city of 158 residents where 39.3% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 34.8% of income on rent. At an average rent of $638/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 Bellamy eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 1.3/10, 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 Bellamy closes 31 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 Bellamy's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 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 Bellamy runs $963 to $3,011 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 31 days of typical timeline and $638/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 7.6/10 in Bellamy, and the city has limited rent control exposure (1/10). 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 Alabama, 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 Bellamy: 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 VERY LOW 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 Alabama's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $3,011 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Bellamy
Trap · ALABAMA
Sumter County court applies Alabama statute uniformly. Filing fee, notice period, and trial-to-writ timeline are set at the state level. At 3.1/10 local risk, default judgment frequency is typical.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What's the fastest way to get a non-paying tenant out in Bellamy?
The fastest way is usually a well-executed 7-day pay-or-quit notice, followed immediately by filing an unlawful detainer if they don't comply. Sometimes, offering "cash for keys" can be quicker and cheaper than a full eviction, especially if the tenant is just delaying.
Q2
Do I need a lawyer for an eviction in Bellamy?
While you *can* represent yourself in Alabama district court, it's generally recommended to hire an attorney, especially if it's your first eviction or if the tenant is contesting it. Small procedural errors can cost you weeks and hundreds of dollars. The cost of a lawyer is often less than the lost rent from a delayed case.
Q3
Can I refuse to rent to someone because they use Section 8?
No, Alabama does not have statewide source-of-income protection. This means you are generally not prohibited from refusing to rent to someone based solely on their use of a Section 8 voucher or other rental assistance programs. However, always ensure your screening criteria are applied consistently to all applicants.
Q4
What if my tenant just disappears?
If your tenant abandons the property, Alabama law (Ala. Code § 35-9A-404) allows you to reclaim possession after a certain period and following specific notice procedures, typically 14 days of unexplained absence and unpaid rent. Don't just change the locks; follow the statute carefully to avoid legal issues.
Q5
How much can I charge for a security deposit in Bellamy?
Alabama has no statutory cap on security deposits. You can charge what the market will bear, but typically one to two months' rent is standard. Remember, you have 60 days to return it after the tenant vacates.
Q6
Are there any rent control laws in Bellamy?
No. Alabama has a statewide preemption against rent control, meaning no city or county in Alabama, including Bellamy, can enact rent control ordinances. You can find more information on this in our Alabama rent control rules.
A 2.1/10 places Bellamy in the 46th percentile of Alabama 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 climbed steadily 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 Bellamy (2.1/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
