Estimated values: The U.S. Census suppresses field-level data for small places. Estimated from constituent census tracts — pop-weighted from real underlying ACS data.
Tenant beats landlord
44.5%
/ 100 outcomes
In court-decided eviction outcomes for Sunnyside-Tahoe City, CA, tenants prevail in roughly 44.5% of contested cases. A higher number means landlords face stronger tenant defenses, longer calendars, and more required documentation — landlord-friendliness drops as this rises.
Timeline
271d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Sunnyside-Tahoe City, CA until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 271 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$17.2–39.6k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Sunnyside-Tahoe City, CA costs landlords $17,165 to $39,595 all-in — court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,745
25% stretched on rent
Median gross rent in Sunnyside-Tahoe City, CA is $1,745 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 25% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent — the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
29.7%
of households
29.7% of occupied housing units in Sunnyside-Tahoe City, CA 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
1.6%
5.6% unemp.
1.6% of Sunnyside-Tahoe City, CA residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 5.6%. 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 +8.5% (2024)
5.1
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
5.1
State political climate
California legislature & governorship
6.8
Economic stress
1.6% poverty · 5.6% unemp.
3.8
Supply constraint
$1,745 average · 29.7% renters
2.3
Rent Control risk
24.6% of income on rent
5.4
Eviction process difficulty
271 days filing → judgment
6.5
Tenant organizing strength
29.7% renters
2.6
Housing court bias
County bench composition
4.3
Geographic context
Risk heat across Sunnyside-Tahoe City and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Sunnyside-Tahoe City compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Placer County
Very Low
#21of 21 cities
#21 of 21 cities in Placer County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in California
Very Low
#1453of 1,594 cities
#1453 of 1,594 cities in California for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
4.4
/ 10 · MODERATE
The verdict
A Moderate-tier market.
Composite 4.4/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+3.2 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
271d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,745/mo. A contested eviction takes 271 days and costs $17,165–$39,595 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
29.7%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 1,599 residents, 29.7% rent. 25% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 1.6% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
5.1
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 5.1 and 5.1 (GOP margin +8.5% (2024)). State climate at 6.8 — mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
6.8
State politics
The process
Long calendar, heavy friction.
State political climate 6.8/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies — and shows up in process. Eviction process difficulty reads 6.5, housing court bias 4.3, rent-control risk 5.4. The slow part is the calendar, not the motion practice.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +1.5 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
3.8
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 3.8. Supply constraint: 2.3. The numbers behind those: 1.6% poverty, 5.6% unemployment, 25% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Sunnyside-Tahoe City sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Sunnyside-Tahoe City · 271d · ~$28.4k all-in ($105/day) · score 4.4National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Sunnyside-Tahoe City, California, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 4.4/10 (MODERATE 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.
Sunnyside-Tahoe City is a city of 1,599 residents where 29.7% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 24.6% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,745/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 Sunnyside-Tahoe City eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 6.5/10 — 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 Sunnyside-Tahoe City closes 271 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 Sunnyside-Tahoe City's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 4.3/10 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 Sunnyside-Tahoe City runs $17,165 to $39,595 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 271 days of typical timeline and $1,745/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 2.6/10 in Sunnyside-Tahoe City, and the city has limited rent control exposure (5.4/10). Operations practice that survives audit in this environment looks like:
Screening discipline. Document income (verified at 2.5–3x 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 California, deposit cap and refund window are statute — exceed 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 Sunnyside-Tahoe City: 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 MODERATE tier market. If you own five or more: build relationships with a local landlord-side attorney before you need one — 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 California's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $39,595 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Sunnyside-Tahoe City
Trap · 5.4/10
The 4.4/10 score weighs nine sub-factors including political climate, court bias, supply constraint, and tenant organizing strength. Sunnyside-Tahoe City's rent-control-risk sub-score is 5.4/10, driven by state preemption and market dynamics.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant in Sunnyside-Tahoe City if their lease expires?
No, not automatically. Due to California's statewide just-cause eviction law, you need a legally recognized "just cause" to terminate a tenancy, even if the lease term has ended. This applies to tenancies that have lasted for 12 months or more. Without a just cause, you cannot simply ask a tenant to leave.
Q2
What is "cash for keys" and should I use it?
Cash for keys is an agreement where you pay a tenant a sum of money in exchange for them voluntarily moving out by a specific date, leaving the property in good condition, and surrendering the keys. Given the high cost ($17,165–$39,595) and long timeline (271 days) of evictions in Sunnyside-Tahoe City, it is often a very smart business decision. It can save you tens of thousands of dollars and many months of headaches. Always consult your attorney to draft a proper cash for keys agreement.
Q3
Do I need an attorney for an eviction in Sunnyside-Tahoe City?
While you are legally allowed to represent yourself, it is highly recommended to hire an attorney specializing in California landlord-tenant law. The rules are complex, the courts are often tenant-friendly, and a single mistake can restart the entire 271-day process or cost you the case. Given the potential financial losses, an attorney is a necessary investment here.
Q4
What are the rules for returning a security deposit?
In Sunnyside-Tahoe City, you must return a tenant's security deposit or provide an itemized statement of deductions within 21 calendar days after they move out. You can only deduct for unpaid rent, cleaning beyond normal wear and tear, and damages beyond normal wear and tear. Keep excellent records, including move-in and move-out photos and invoices for repairs. Failure to comply can result in owing the tenant the full deposit back, plus potential statutory damages.
Q5
Can I refuse to rent to someone with a Section 8 voucher?
No. California has a statewide source-of-income protection law. This means you cannot discriminate against potential tenants solely because they receive housing assistance, such as a Section 8 voucher. You must treat their voucher income the same as any other verifiable income when assessing their ability to pay rent.
A 4.4/10 places Sunnyside-Tahoe City in the 10th percentile of California cities on the Eviction Risk Score index. The score is the average of the nine sub-axes, all calibrated on a national 1–10 scale where 1 is most landlord-friendly and 10 is most tenant-protective. The 50-year reconstruction shows this score has risen sharply 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 Sunnyside-Tahoe City (4.4/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
