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
19.3%
/ 100 outcomes
In court-decided eviction outcomes for Tonalea, AZ, tenants prevail in roughly 19.3% 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
37d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Tonalea, AZ until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 37 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.8–5.0k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Tonalea, AZ costs landlords $1,758 to $5,045 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$763
18% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Tonalea, AZ is $763 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 18% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
47.8%
of households
47.8% of occupied housing units in Tonalea, AZ 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
57.1%
6.4% unemp.
57.1% of Tonalea, AZ residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 6.4%. 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 +19.9% (2024)
6.6
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
6.6
State political climate
Arizona legislature & governorship
2.2
Economic stress
57.1% poverty · 6.4% unemp.
5.4
Supply constraint
$763 average · 47.8% renters
7.4
Rent Control risk
18.1% of income on rent
2.1
Eviction process difficulty
37 days filing → judgment
1.7
Tenant organizing strength
47.8% renters
9.5
Housing court bias
County bench composition
6.0
Geographic context
Risk heat across Tonalea and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Tonalea compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Coconino County
Very Low
#31of 33 cities
#31 of 33 cities in Coconino County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Arizona
Very Low
#446of 464 cities
#446 of 464 cities in Arizona 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+0.2 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
37d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $763/mo. A contested eviction takes 37 days and costs $1,758–$5,045 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
47.8%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 205 residents, 47.8% rent. 18% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 57.1% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
6.6
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 6.6 and 6.6 (Dem margin +19.9% (2024)). State climate at 2.2, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
2.2
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 2.2/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 1.7, housing court bias 6, rent-control risk 2.1. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.3 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
5.4
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 5.4. Supply constraint: 7.4. The numbers behind those: 57.1% poverty, 6.4% unemployment, 18% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Tonalea sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Tonalea · 37d · ~$3.4k all-in ($92/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 Tonalea, Arizona, 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.
Tonalea is a city of 205 residents where 47.8% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 18.1% of income on rent. At an average rent of $763/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 Tonalea eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 1.7/10, 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 Tonalea closes 37 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 Tonalea's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 6/10 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 Tonalea runs $1,758 to $5,045 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 37 days of typical timeline and $763/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 9.5/10 in Tonalea, and the city has limited rent control exposure (2.1/10). 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 Arizona, 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 Tonalea: 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 Arizona's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $5,045 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Tonalea
Trap · 47.8%
47.8% renter share against 205 residents produces roughly 98 rental occupants in Tonalea. Coconino County voted D 24.1% in 2020. Eviction filings tend to cluster in the multifamily rental corridor.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What is the biggest risk for landlords in Tonalea?
The biggest risk is the combination of high tenant organizing strength (9.5/10) and housing-court bias (6/10). This means tenants are more likely to know their rights and potentially challenge evictions, and courts may lean slightly in their favor. Precision in your paperwork and process is critical.
Q2
Can I charge late fees in Tonalea?
Yes, you can charge reasonable late fees as outlined in your lease agreement. Arizona law does not specify a maximum late fee, but courts generally consider 5-10% of the monthly rent to be reasonable. Make sure it's clearly stated in your lease.
Q3
Do I need a lawyer for every eviction in Tonalea?
While not legally required for every case, it's highly recommended, especially if the tenant contests the eviction or if you're new to the process. Given the moderate eviction risk and potential for tenant challenges, an attorney can save you significant time and money by ensuring proper procedure. See our Arizona eviction risk overview for more on state-level considerations.
Q4
What if my tenant damages the property beyond the security deposit?
If the damages exceed the security deposit, you can sue the tenant in small claims court for the additional amount. Keep detailed records, photos, and receipts for all repair costs. However, collecting on such a judgment can be difficult if the tenant has no assets or moves out of state.
Q5
Are there rent control laws in Tonalea or Arizona?
No, Arizona has a statewide preemption against rent control. This means no city or county in Arizona, including Tonalea, can implement rent control measures. You are generally free to set market rates for rent. For more details, consult our Arizona rent control rules page.
Q6
How quickly can I remove a tenant who breaks lease rules, not just non-payment?
For material non-compliance with the lease (e.g., unauthorized pets, property damage), Arizona law typically requires a 10-day notice to cure the breach or vacate. If the breach is not cured within 10 days, you can then file for eviction. For repeated or irreparable breaches, the notice period might be shorter or not allow for a cure. Always refer to A.R.S. § 33-1368 for specific notice requirements. You can also explore Arizona tenant protections for other related issues.
A 2.1/10 places Tonalea in the 9th percentile of Arizona 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 Tonalea (2.1/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
