In court-decided eviction outcomes for Temple Terrace, FL, tenants prevail in roughly 17.2% 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
29d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Temple Terrace, FL until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 29 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.3–3.2k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Temple Terrace, FL costs landlords $1,283 to $3,189 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,594
33% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Temple Terrace, FL is $1,594 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 33% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
49.6%
of households
49.6% of occupied housing units in Temple Terrace, FL 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
12.6%
4.0% unemp.
12.6% of Temple Terrace, FL 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
GOP margin +3.1% (2024)
5.8
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
5.8
State political climate
Florida legislature & governorship
1.5
Economic stress
12.6% poverty · 4.0% unemp.
5.9
Supply constraint
$1,594 average · 49.6% renters
8.8
Rent Control risk
32.7% of income on rent
7.2
Eviction process difficulty
29 days filing → judgment
1.4
Tenant organizing strength
49.6% renters
9.2
Housing court bias
County bench composition
6.6
Geographic context
Risk heat across Temple Terrace and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Temple Terrace compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Hillsborough County
Elevated
#14of 34 cities
#14 of 34 cities in Hillsborough County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Florida
Elevated
#378of 949 cities
#378 of 949 cities in Florida for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.4
/ 10 · VERY LOW
The verdict
A Very low-tier market.
Composite 2.4/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend-0.1 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
29d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,594/mo. A contested eviction takes 29 days and costs $1,283–$3,189 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
49.6%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 27,275 residents, 49.6% rent. 33% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 12.6% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
5.8
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 5.8 and 5.8 (GOP margin +3.1% (2024)). State climate at 1.5, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
1.5
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 1.5/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 1.4, housing court bias 6.6, rent-control risk 7.2. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.6 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
5.9
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 5.9. Supply constraint: 8.8. The numbers behind those: 12.6% poverty, 4.0% unemployment, 33% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Temple Terrace sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Temple Terrace · 29d · ~$2.2k all-in ($77/day) · score 2.4National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Temple Terrace, Florida, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.4/10 (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.
Temple Terrace is a city of 27,275 residents where 49.6% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 32.7% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,594/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 Temple Terrace eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 1.4/10, 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 Temple Terrace closes 29 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 Temple Terrace's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 6.6/10 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 Temple Terrace runs $1,283 to $3,189 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 29 days of typical timeline and $1,594/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 9.2/10 in Temple Terrace, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (7.2/10). 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 Florida, 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 Temple Terrace: 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 Florida's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $3,189 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Temple Terrace
Trap · 6.6/10
For landlords, the 5.5/10 score is most actionable when combined with Hillsborough County's specific court behavior. Housing-court bias sub-score: 6.6/10. Use proactive screening and documented notices.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant in Temple Terrace for having unauthorized pets?
Yes, if your lease specifically prohibits pets or requires approval, and the tenant brings in an unauthorized pet, this is a lease violation. You would typically issue a 7-day notice to cure the violation (remove the pet) or vacate. If they don't comply, you can proceed with an eviction filing.
Q2
What if my tenant pays rent late often, but always within the 3-day notice period?
This is frustrating but challenging to evict on. If they pay within the 3-day window, they are technically complying. Your best bet is to include a clear late fee clause in your lease and enforce it strictly. For chronic late payers, you might consider not renewing their lease when the term expires, giving them the required 15-day notice.
Q3
Do I need to store a tenant's abandoned property after an eviction?
Yes, Florida law (Fla. Stat. § 715.104) requires landlords to store abandoned personal property for at least 7 days after giving written notice to the tenant. If the property is worth less than $500, you can dispose of it after 7 days if the tenant doesn't claim it. If it's worth more, you generally need to provide 15 days' notice before selling it. Consult your attorney for specifics.
Q4
Can I turn off utilities if a tenant stops paying rent in Temple Terrace?
Absolutely not. This is illegal in Florida. Landlords cannot unilaterally shut off utilities, change locks, or otherwise engage in "self-help" evictions. Doing so can lead to significant penalties, including fines and damages payable to the tenant. Always follow the judicial eviction process.
Q5
What if the tenant claims the property is uninhabitable to avoid eviction?
If a tenant claims habitability issues, they might try to pay rent into the court registry (Fla. Stat. § 83.60). This means they are acknowledging they owe rent but claim you haven't maintained the property. You'll need to demonstrate you've met your maintenance obligations. This is where good record-keeping of maintenance requests and repairs becomes vital. This situation definitely warrants immediate legal counsel.
A 2.4/10 places Temple Terrace in the 70th percentile of Florida 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 Temple Terrace (2 with eviction-risk data)
Click a neighborhood to see its pop-weighted score, constituent census tracts, and demographics. Sorted by population.
