In court-decided eviction outcomes for Tempe, AZ, tenants prevail in roughly 28.0% 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 Tempe, 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
$1.8–4.2k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Tempe, AZ costs landlords $1,789 to $4,184 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,743
31% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Tempe, AZ is $1,743 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 31% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
57.7%
of households
57.7% of occupied housing units in Tempe, 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
16.2%
5.7% unemp.
16.2% of Tempe, AZ residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 5.7%. 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
GOP margin +3.5% (2024)
7.5
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
5.0
State political climate
Arizona legislature & governorship
2.5
Economic stress
16.2% poverty · 5.7% unemp.
5.5
Supply constraint
$1,743 average · 57.7% renters
6.0
Rent Control risk
31.3% of income on rent
2.0
Eviction process difficulty
37 days filing → judgment
4.5
Tenant organizing strength
57.7% renters
6.0
Housing court bias
County bench composition
4.5
Geographic context
Risk heat across Tempe and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Tempe compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Maricopa County
Very High
#1of 45 cities
#1 of 45 cities in Maricopa County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Arizona
Very High
#45of 464 cities
#45 of 464 cities in Arizona for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
3.1
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 3.1/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+1.0 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
37d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,743/mo. A contested eviction takes 37 days and costs $1,789–$4,184 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
57.7%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 188,065 residents, 57.7% rent. 31% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 16.2% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
6.3
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 7.5 and 5 (GOP margin +3.5% (2024)). State climate at 2.5, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
2.5
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 2.5/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 4.5, housing court bias 4.5, rent-control risk 2. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-0.5 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
5.5
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 5.5. Supply constraint: 6. The numbers behind those: 16.2% poverty, 5.7% unemployment, 31% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Tempe sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Tempe · 37d · ~$3.0k all-in ($81/day) · score 3.1National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Tempe, Arizona, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 3.1/10 (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.
Tempe is a city of 188,065 residents where 57.7% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 31.3% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,743/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 Tempe eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 4.5/10, 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 Tempe 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 Tempe's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 4.5/10 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 Tempe runs $1,789 to $4,184 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 $1,743/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 6/10 in Tempe, and the city has limited rent control exposure (2/10). 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 Tempe: 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 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 $4,184 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Tempe
Trap · PRACTICAL TRAP
The ASU dynamic shapes everything. The lease calendar concentrates around the academic year (July-August move-in, May-June move-out). The student-renter cohort tends to resolve disputes through parental guarantors before reaching court. The Tempe rental market structure includes substantial purpose-built student housing plus older multifamily and SFR inventory serving the broader graduate and young-professional cohort.
Trap · ARS 33-1329
State context: ARS 33-1329 blocks rent control. HB 2191 (2023) preempted local SOI. Tempe City Council has been one of the more progressive Maricopa County councils but has been hemmed in by state preemption. The contested-case rate runs moderate, with student-renter cases often resolving through default-redemption.
04Eviction filings
Live filings tracking · Eviction Lab
Princeton Eviction Lab Tracking System, county-level. Last update 2026-05-01.
In the most recent month, 6,456 eviction cases were filed across the tracker's coverage area, 0.99× the historical baseline (below baseline). Past 12 months: 84,136 filings. Pandemic-era cumulative: 414,391.
6,456Past month
84,136Past 12 months
0.99×vs baseline (past mo)
21.2%Repeat-tenant filings
Notice requirement: at least five days notice (in some cases more). Filing fee: $69 filing fee.
Last 36 months of filings2023-05-01 – 2026-04-01
Filings dropped 9% over the past 12 months.
Source: Eviction Lab Tracking System, Princeton University. Open Data Commons Attribution license.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my tenant ignores the 5-day notice?
If your tenant ignores the 5-day pay-or-quit notice and doesn't pay or move out, you proceed to file an eviction lawsuit (Special Detainer) with the Maricopa County Justice Court. You cannot physically remove them yourself. The court process is the only legal way to regain possession of your property.
Q2
Can I keep the security deposit if a tenant breaks the lease early?
Yes, if a tenant breaks the lease early, you can typically deduct from their security deposit for unpaid rent, damages beyond normal wear and tear, and re-renting costs (like advertising). However, you must still return the remaining portion (or an itemized statement) within 14 days of them vacating and returning the keys.
Q3
Is there rent control in Tempe, AZ?
No, there is no rent control in Tempe, AZ. Arizona has a statewide preemption against rent control, meaning local municipalities cannot enact their own rent control ordinances. You can set your rental prices based on market conditions.
Q4
How long does a tenant have to move out after a judge orders an eviction?
After a judge orders an eviction and issues a Writ of Restitution, the tenant typically has a few days (often around 5 calendar days) to vacate before the sheriff can physically remove them. The exact timing can vary slightly based on court scheduling and the sheriff's availability.
Q5
Do I need a lawyer for an eviction in Tempe?
While you are not legally required to have a lawyer for an eviction in Tempe, it is highly recommended, especially if the tenant contests the eviction or if you are unfamiliar with court procedures. A lawyer can ensure proper documentation, adherence to timelines, and representation in court, which can save you time and money in the long run.
A 3.1/10 places Tempe in the 96th 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.
Neighborhoods in Tempe (6 with eviction-risk data)
Click a neighborhood to see its pop-weighted score, constituent census tracts, and demographics. Sorted by population.
