In court-decided eviction outcomes for Camden, DE, tenants prevail in roughly 31.7% 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
64d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Camden, DE until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 64 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$2.2–5.7k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Camden, DE costs landlords $2,159 to $5,684 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,836
41% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Camden, DE is $1,836 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 41% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
19.9%
of households
19.9% of occupied housing units in Camden, DE 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
6.3%
4.0% unemp.
6.3% of Camden, DE residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 4.0%. 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 +2.0% (2024)
5.7
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
5.7
State political climate
Delaware legislature & governorship
3.2
Economic stress
6.3% poverty · 4.0% unemp.
4.7
Supply constraint
$1,836 average · 19.9% renters
6.4
Rent Control risk
41.1% of income on rent
8.7
Eviction process difficulty
64 days filing → judgment
2.7
Tenant organizing strength
19.9% renters
4.6
Housing court bias
County bench composition
6.2
Geographic context
Risk heat across Camden and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Camden compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Kent County
Low
#17of 26 cities
#17 of 26 cities in Kent County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Delaware
Moderate
#40of 79 cities
#40 of 79 cities in Delaware for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
4.1
/ 10 · MODERATE
The verdict
A Moderate-tier market.
Composite 4.1/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+1.6 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
64d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,836/mo. A contested eviction takes 64 days and costs $2,159–$5,684 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
19.9%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 4,106 residents, 19.9% rent. 41% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 6.3% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
5.7
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 5.7 and 5.7 (Dem margin +2.0% (2024)). State climate at 3.2, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
3.2
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 3.2/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 2.7, housing court bias 6.2, rent-control risk 8.7. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-2.3 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
4.7
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 4.7. Supply constraint: 6.4. The numbers behind those: 6.3% poverty, 4.0% unemployment, 41% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Camden sits in the slow but cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Camden · 64d · ~$3.9k all-in ($61/day) · score 4.1National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Camden, Delaware, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 4.1/10 (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.
Camden is a city of 4,106 residents where 19.9% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 41.1% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,836/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 Camden eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 2.7/10, 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 Camden closes 64 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 Camden's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 6.2/10 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 Camden runs $2,159 to $5,684 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 64 days of typical timeline and $1,836/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 4.6/10 in Camden, and the city sits at the top of the rent control risk spectrum (8.7/10). 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 Delaware, 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 Camden: 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, 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 Delaware's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $5,684 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Camden
Trap · 8.7/10
The 6.1/10 score weighs nine sub-factors including political climate, court bias, supply constraint, and tenant organizing strength. Camden's rent-control-risk sub-score is 8.7/10, driven by demographic and political pressure for tenant relief.
04Eviction filings
Live filings tracking · Eviction Lab
Princeton Eviction Lab Tracking System, state-level (no county tracker available). Last update 2026-05-01.
In the most recent month, 805 eviction cases were filed across the tracker's coverage area, 0.96× the historical baseline (below baseline). Past 12 months: 10,444 filings. Pandemic-era cumulative: 62,435.
805Past month
10,444Past 12 months
0.96×vs baseline (past mo)
33.4%Repeat-tenant filings
Notice requirement: at least five days notice (in some cases more). Filing fee: $45 filing fee.
Last 36 months of filings2023-05-01 – 2026-04-01
Filings dropped 6% over the past 12 months.
Source: Eviction Lab Tracking System, Princeton University. Open Data Commons Attribution license.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant in Camden without a reason?
Yes, generally you can. Delaware law does not have a statewide "just-cause" eviction requirement. You can terminate a month-to-month tenancy with a 60-day written notice, provided it's not in retaliation or discriminatory, and your lease allows for it. For a fixed-term lease, you'd have to wait until the lease expires or have a lease violation.
Q2
How much can I charge for a late fee in Camden?
Delaware law allows for late fees, but they must be reasonable and clearly stated in your lease agreement. Typically, a late fee of 5% of the monthly rent is considered acceptable, but it's crucial to have this explicitly written into your lease. Do not make up late fees on the fly.
Q3
What if my Camden tenant files for bankruptcy during an eviction?
If your tenant files for bankruptcy, an automatic stay goes into effect, which immediately halts most collection actions, including evictions. You will need to consult with an attorney to potentially get relief from the stay in bankruptcy court before proceeding with the eviction. This is a complex legal situation, not something to handle on your own.
Q4
Can I turn off utilities if my Camden tenant isn't paying rent?
Absolutely not. Turning off utilities, changing locks, or removing a tenant's belongings (self-help eviction) is illegal in Delaware. You must follow the legal eviction process through the courts. Engaging in self-help measures can lead to significant penalties and lawsuits against you.
Q5
How long does a tenant have to move out after an eviction judgment in Camden?
Once the Justice of the Peace Court issues a judgment for possession in your favor, the tenant typically has a short period, often around 10 days, to appeal. If no appeal is filed, you can then request a writ of possession. The sheriff will then serve the writ, giving the tenant a final few days (usually 24-48 hours) to vacate before a physical lockout. The exact timeframe can vary slightly based on court scheduling and sheriff availability.
A 4.1/10 places Camden in the 53rd percentile of Delaware 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 Camden (4.1/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
