In court-decided eviction outcomes for Highland Acres, DE, tenants prevail in roughly 30.6% 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
67d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Highland Acres, DE until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 67 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$2.5–5.6k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Highland Acres, DE costs landlords $2,547 to $5,607 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,583
24% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Highland Acres, DE is $1,583 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 24% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
17.7%
of households
17.7% of occupied housing units in Highland Acres, 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
7.6%
3.6% unemp.
7.6% of Highland Acres, DE residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 3.6%. 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
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
7.6% poverty · 3.6% unemp.
4.8
Supply constraint
$1,583 average · 17.7% renters
6.0
Rent Control risk
24.3% of income on rent
3.3
Eviction process difficulty
67 days filing → judgment
3.4
Tenant organizing strength
17.7% renters
3.8
Housing court bias
County bench composition
3.8
Geographic context
Risk heat across Highland Acres and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Highland Acres compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Kent County
Very Low
#22of 26 cities
#22 of 26 cities in Kent County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Delaware
Low
#53of 79 cities
#53 of 79 cities in Delaware for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
4
/ 10 · MODERATE
The verdict
A Moderate-tier market.
Composite 4/10. 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
67d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,583/mo. A contested eviction takes 67 days and costs $2,547–$5,607 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
17.7%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 3,752 residents, 17.7% rent. 24% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 7.6% 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 3.4, housing court bias 3.8, rent-control risk 3.3. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-1.6 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
4.8
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 4.8. Supply constraint: 6. The numbers behind those: 7.6% poverty, 3.6% unemployment, 24% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Highland Acres sits in the slow but cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Highland Acres · 67d · ~$4.1k all-in ($61/day) · score 4National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Highland Acres, Delaware, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 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.
Highland Acres is a city of 3,752 residents where 17.7% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 24.3% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,583/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 Highland Acres eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 3.4/10, 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 Highland Acres closes 67 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 Highland Acres's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 3.8/10 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 Highland Acres runs $2,547 to $5,607 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 67 days of typical timeline and $1,583/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 3.8/10 in Highland Acres, and the city has limited rent control exposure (3.3/10). 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 Highland Acres: 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 $5,607 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Highland Acres
Trap · PRACTICAL TRAP
Compare Highland Acres to neighboring cities in Kent County via the grid below. The 5.5/10 score is computed from nine sub-factors plus a state-law multiplier under 25 Del. Code 53 DRLTC. Kent County 2020 presidential margin: D+4.1. Cross-reference the state overview link in the guides section for Delaware statutory detail.
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 Highland Acres without a reason?
Delaware does not have statewide just-cause eviction laws. This means you can generally choose not to renew a lease without providing a specific "just cause," as long as you give the tenant proper 60-day notice before the lease term ends. However, you cannot evict for discriminatory reasons or in retaliation for a tenant exercising their legal rights.
Q2
How long does an eviction take if the tenant doesn't fight it?
Even if a tenant doesn't actively fight the eviction, the process still takes time due to court schedules and required notice periods. The 67-day typical timeline factors in some level of cooperation. You still have to issue the 5-day pay-or-quit, wait for court dates, and then wait for the writ of possession to be executed by the sheriff. It's rarely instant.
Q3
What if my tenant pays rent late often, but always eventually pays?
This is a common headache. Your lease should clearly state late fees and when they apply. If a tenant consistently pays late, you can serve the 5-day pay-or-quit notice each time. While you may not want to evict, consistently applying late fees and notices reinforces the lease terms. If it becomes a pattern you can't tolerate, you can choose not to renew their lease with a 60-day notice.
Q4
Can I deduct cleaning fees from the security deposit in Highland Acres?
Yes, you can deduct cleaning fees from the security deposit if the property is not left in a reasonably clean condition, beyond normal wear and tear. Make sure your lease defines "clean condition" and document the property's state with photos before move-in and after move-out. Provide an itemized list of deductions within 20 days.
Q5
Is rent control a risk for landlords in Highland Acres, DE?
The risk of rent control in Highland Acres is low. Delaware does not have statewide rent control laws, and there are no indications of local rent control ordinances being enacted in Highland Acres or Kent County. Our data shows a rent-control-risk sub-score of 3.3/10, which is low. However, staying informed about Delaware rent control rules is always wise.
A 4/10 places Highland Acres in the 38th 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 Highland Acres (4/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
