In court-decided eviction outcomes for San Antonio, FL, tenants prevail in roughly 17.5% 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
25d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in San Antonio, FL until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 25 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.1–3.5k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in San Antonio, FL costs landlords $1,128 to $3,481 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,091
51% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in San Antonio, FL is $1,091 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 51% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
10.9%
of households
10.9% of occupied housing units in San Antonio, 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
8.8%
3.7% unemp.
8.8% of San Antonio, FL residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 3.7%. 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 +25.2% (2024)
4.6
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
4.6
State political climate
Florida legislature & governorship
1.5
Economic stress
8.8% poverty · 3.7% unemp.
5.1
Supply constraint
$1,091 average · 10.9% renters
4.7
Rent Control risk
51.0% of income on rent
8.9
Eviction process difficulty
25 days filing → judgment
1.3
Tenant organizing strength
10.9% renters
3.4
Housing court bias
County bench composition
6.8
Geographic context
Risk heat across San Antonio and the region
Click any city to see its score
How San Antonio compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Pasco County
Low
#21of 33 cities
#21 of 33 cities in Pasco County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Florida
Low
#625of 949 cities
#625 of 949 cities in Florida for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.2
/ 10 · VERY LOW
The verdict
A Very low-tier market.
Composite 2.2/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend-0.4 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
25d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,091/mo. A contested eviction takes 25 days and costs $1,128–$3,481 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
10.9%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 1,446 residents, 10.9% rent. 51% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 8.8% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
4.6
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 4.6 and 4.6 (GOP margin +25.2% (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 1.3, housing court bias 6.8, rent-control risk 8.9. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.7 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
5.1
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 5.1. Supply constraint: 4.7. The numbers behind those: 8.8% poverty, 3.7% unemployment, 51% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
San Antonio sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
San Antonio · 25d · ~$2.3k all-in ($92/day) · score 2.2National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in San Antonio, Florida, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.2/10 (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.
San Antonio is a city of 1,446 residents where 10.9% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 51.0% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,091/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 San Antonio eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 1.3/10, 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 San Antonio closes 25 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 San Antonio's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 6.8/10 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 San Antonio runs $1,128 to $3,481 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 25 days of typical timeline and $1,091/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 3.4/10 in San Antonio, and the city sits at the top of the rent control risk spectrum (8.9/10). 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 San Antonio: 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 $3,481 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in San Antonio
Trap · 20.1 POINTS
Politically, Pasco County voted Republican by 20.1 points in 2020, a baseline that correlates with landlord-neutral legislative pressure. Combined with 51.0% rent-to-income ratio, expect baseline enforcement of FS Chapter 83 Part II.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant in San Antonio without a reason?
Florida does not have a statewide "just cause" eviction law. If a tenant is on a month-to-month lease or their fixed-term lease is ending, you can generally terminate the tenancy with a 15-day notice without needing a specific "reason," provided it's not for discriminatory reasons or in retaliation.
Q2
How long does it typically take to get a tenant out in San Antonio?
The typical eviction timeline in San Antonio, from serving the initial 3-day notice to the sheriff locking out the tenant, is about 25 days if the tenant does not contest the eviction. If contested, it can take 45 days or more.
Q3
What's the biggest mistake landlords make during eviction in Florida?
The most common mistake is improper notice. Either the notice is not served correctly, it has incorrect dates, or the landlord accepts a partial payment after issuing a 3-day notice, which often voids the notice and forces them to restart the process.
Q4
Do I need a lawyer for an eviction in Pasco County?
While you can file an eviction yourself, it's highly recommended to use an attorney, especially if it's your first time or if the tenant contests the eviction. A small procedural error can cause significant delays and costs. Given the low eviction process difficulty score (1.3/10), it means the process is straightforward for those who know it, but complex for those who don't.
Q5
Is there a cap on security deposits in San Antonio, FL?
No, Florida state law does not impose a statutory cap on the amount a landlord can charge for a security deposit. However, most landlords typically charge one to two months' rent.
Q6
What is the 3-day notice in Florida?
The 3-day notice is a legal document you serve to a tenant who has failed to pay rent. It informs them they have three business days (excluding weekends and holidays) to either pay the overdue rent in full or vacate the property. If they don't comply, you can then file an eviction lawsuit.
A 2.2/10 places San Antonio in the 44th 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.
Cities with similar eviction risk to San Antonio (2.2/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
