In court-decided eviction outcomes for Ohio, IL, tenants prevail in roughly 39.5% 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
111d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Ohio, IL until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 111 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$4.5-13.3k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Ohio, IL costs landlords $4,506 to $13,325 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$638
33% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Ohio, IL is $638 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
14.9%
of households
14.9% of occupied housing units in Ohio, IL 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
22.9%
12.0% unemp.
22.9% of Ohio, IL residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 12.0%. 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 +24.3% (2024)
4.5
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
4.5
State political climate
Illinois legislature & governorship
5.2
Economic stress
22.9% poverty · 12.0% unemp.
8.8
Supply constraint
$638 average · 14.9% renters
3.8
Rent Control risk
33.1% of income on rent
8.4
Eviction process difficulty
111 days filing → judgment
4.5
Tenant organizing strength
14.9% renters
5.0
Housing court bias
County bench composition
8.4
Geographic context
Risk heat across Ohio and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Ohio compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Bureau County
Elevated
#6of 16 cities
#6 of 16 cities in Bureau County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Illinois
Low
#935of 1,456 cities
#935 of 1,456 cities in Illinois for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
3.5
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 3.5/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+1.8 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
111d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $638/mo. A contested eviction takes 111 days and costs $4,506-$13,325 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
14.9%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 609 residents, 14.9% rent. 33% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 22.9% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
4.5
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 4.5 and 4.5 (GOP margin +24.3% (2024)). State climate at 5.2, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
5.2
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 5.2/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 4.5, housing court bias 8.4, rent-control risk 8.4. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-0.5 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
8.8
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the real risk.
Economic stress: 8.8. Supply constraint: 3.8. The numbers behind those: 22.9% poverty, 12.0% 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
Ohio sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Ohio · 111d · ~$8.9k all-in ($80/day) · score 3.5National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0-4 4-7 7-10
Landlording in Ohio, Illinois, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 3.5/10 (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.
Ohio is a city of 609 residents where 14.9% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 33.1% of income on rent. At an average rent of $638/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 Ohio eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 4.5/10, 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 Ohio closes 111 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 Ohio's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 8.4/10 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 Ohio runs $4,506 to $13,325 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 111 days of typical timeline and $638/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 5/10 in Ohio, and the city sits at the top of the rent control risk spectrum (8.4/10). 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 Illinois, 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 Ohio: 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 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 Illinois's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $13,325 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Ohio
Trap · 22.9%
Local poverty rate is 22.9%, and the rent-burden distribution skews the eviction-filings curve toward higher volume in Bureau County. Rent-control-risk sub-score: 8.4/10. Tenant organizing is most active in the rental concentration corridors.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my Ohio, IL tenant has a Section 8 voucher?
Illinois has statewide source-of-income protection. This means you cannot refuse to rent to a tenant solely because they use a Section 8 voucher or other legal income source. You must evaluate them based on the same criteria as any other applicant, such as credit history, rental history, and criminal background. You can't discriminate against them for using a voucher.
Q2
Can I really evict someone in Ohio, IL for just not paying rent?
Yes. Non-payment of rent is the most common reason for eviction. You must first serve a 5-day pay-or-quit notice. If the tenant doesn't pay the full amount owed within those five days, you can then proceed with filing an eviction lawsuit in court. This is outlined in the Illinois Forcible Entry and Detainer Act. For a full breakdown, see our Illinois eviction process step-by-step guide.
Q3
How long does an eviction usually take in Bureau County?
Our data shows a typical eviction timeline in Ohio, IL (Bureau County) is around 111 days. This is an average and can vary based on court schedules, whether the tenant contests the eviction, and other factors. It's rarely a fast process, which is why prevention and quick action are so important.
Q4
What are the biggest risks for landlords in Ohio, IL?
The biggest risks are the high costs and lengthy timelines associated with evictions (average 111 days, $4,506, $13,325). Also, the elevated housing-court bias score (8.4) means courts may lean towards tenants, making it crucial to follow every legal step precisely. Source-of-income protection is another key area to understand to avoid discrimination claims. You can learn more about costs on our Illinois eviction costs page.
Q5
Should I use a lawyer for an eviction in Ohio, IL?
Given the complexity of Illinois eviction law, the potential for high costs and long timelines, and the elevated housing-court bias score, it is highly recommended that landlords in Ohio, IL use an attorney for evictions. Mistakes in procedure can easily lead to delays, restarting the process, or even losing the case, costing you far more in the long run than legal fees. Don't try to save a few hundred dollars to lose thousands.
A 3.5/10 places Ohio in the 38th percentile of Illinois 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 Ohio (3.5/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
