In court-decided eviction outcomes for Streamwood, IL, tenants prevail in roughly 39.3% of contested cases. A higher number means landlords face stronger tenant defenses, longer calendars, and more required documentation — landlord-friendliness drops as this rises.
Timeline
130d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Streamwood, IL until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 130 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$5.5–13.4k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Streamwood, IL costs landlords $5,538 to $13,398 all-in — court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,809
34% stretched on rent
Median gross rent in Streamwood, IL is $1,809 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 34% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent — the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
11.0%
of households
11.0% of occupied housing units in Streamwood, 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
9.7%
4.0% unemp.
9.7% of Streamwood, IL 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 +42.0% (2024)
6.3
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
6.3
State political climate
Illinois legislature & governorship
5.2
Economic stress
9.7% poverty · 4.0% unemp.
5.4
Supply constraint
$1,809 average · 11.0% renters
6.1
Rent Control risk
34.4% of income on rent
6.4
Eviction process difficulty
130 days filing → judgment
4.5
Tenant organizing strength
11.0% renters
3.1
Housing court bias
County bench composition
5.8
Geographic context
Risk heat across Streamwood and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Streamwood compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Cook County
Low
#74of 115 cities
#74 of 115 cities in Cook County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Illinois
Elevated
#398of 1,456 cities
#398 of 1,456 cities in Illinois for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
5.3
/ 10 · MODERATE
The verdict
A Moderate-tier market.
Composite 5.3/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+3.7 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
130d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,809/mo. A contested eviction takes 130 days and costs $5,538–$13,398 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
11.0%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 39,001 residents, 11.0% rent. 34% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 9.7% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
6.3
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 6.3 and 6.3 (Dem margin +42.0% (2024)). State climate at 5.2 — 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 shows up in process. Eviction process difficulty reads 4.5, housing court bias 5.8, rent-control risk 6.4. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-0.5 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
5.4
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 5.4. Supply constraint: 6.1. The numbers behind those: 9.7% poverty, 4.0% unemployment, 34% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Streamwood sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Streamwood · 130d · ~$9.5k all-in ($73/day) · score 5.3National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Streamwood, Illinois, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 5.3/10 (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.
Streamwood is a city of 39,001 residents where 11.0% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 34.4% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,809/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 Streamwood 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 Streamwood closes 130 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 Streamwood's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 5.8/10 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 Streamwood runs $5,538 to $13,398 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 130 days of typical timeline and $1,809/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 3.1/10 in Streamwood, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (6.4/10). Operations practice that survives audit in this environment looks like:
Screening discipline. Document income (verified at 2.5–3x 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 — exceed 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 Streamwood: 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 — 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 $13,398 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Streamwood
Trap · 11.0%
11.0% renter share against 39,001 residents produces roughly 4,286 rental occupants in Streamwood. DuPage County voted D 18.1% in 2020. Eviction filings tend to cluster in the multifamily rental corridor.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
How long does an eviction take in Streamwood?
A typical eviction in Streamwood, IL takes about 130 days from start to finish. This includes notice periods, court proceedings, and the final lockout by the sheriff. Contested cases can take even longer.
Q2
What is the 5-day notice in Illinois?
The 5-day notice is a legal document required for non-payment of rent. It gives the tenant five calendar days to pay the full amount of overdue rent or vacate the property. If they do neither, you can then proceed with filing an eviction lawsuit.
Q3
Can I evict a tenant in Streamwood for no reason?
For a month-to-month lease, you can generally terminate the tenancy with a 30-day notice without needing a specific "just cause," as long as it's not discriminatory or retaliatory. For a fixed-term lease, you typically need a lease violation to evict. Illinois does not have statewide just-cause eviction requirements.
Q4
Is there rent control in Streamwood?
No, there is no rent control in Streamwood or anywhere else in Illinois. Illinois has a statewide ban on rent control. This means landlords are generally free to set and increase rents as they see fit, provided they follow lease terms and proper notice periods. For more information, check our Illinois rent control rules guide.
Q5
What are the rules for security deposits in Illinois?
Illinois does not have a statutory cap on security deposit amounts. You must return the security deposit within 30 days after the tenant moves out, or provide an itemized statement of deductions if you're keeping any part of it for damages. Failure to do so can result in penalties.
Q6
Do I need a lawyer for an eviction in DuPage County?
While you can represent yourself, it's highly recommended to hire an attorney for an eviction in DuPage County. The legal process is complex, and even small procedural errors can lead to significant delays and added costs. An attorney ensures proper notice, court filings, and representation, which can save you money and time in the long run. Learn more about DuPage County eviction guide here.
A 5.3/10 places Streamwood in the 73th 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 1–10 scale where 1 is most landlord-friendly and 10 is most tenant-protective. The 50-year reconstruction shows this score has risen sharply 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 Streamwood (2 with eviction-risk data)
Click a neighborhood to see its pop-weighted score, constituent census tracts, and demographics. Sorted by population.
