In court-decided eviction outcomes for Winchester, IL, tenants prevail in roughly 37.4% 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
108d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Winchester, IL until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 108 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$5.4–15.7k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Winchester, IL costs landlords $5,375 to $15,717 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$593
19% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Winchester, IL is $593 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 19% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
36.0%
of households
36.0% of occupied housing units in Winchester, 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
21.2%
4.9% unemp.
21.2% of Winchester, IL residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 4.9%. 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 +61.2% (2024)
3.0
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
3.0
State political climate
Illinois legislature & governorship
5.2
Economic stress
21.2% poverty · 4.9% unemp.
7.3
Supply constraint
$593 average · 36.0% renters
4.6
Rent Control risk
18.9% of income on rent
2.0
Eviction process difficulty
108 days filing → judgment
4.6
Tenant organizing strength
36.0% renters
7.5
Housing court bias
County bench composition
5.0
Geographic context
Risk heat across Winchester and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Winchester compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Scott County
Elevated
#7of 16 cities
#7 of 16 cities in Scott County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Illinois
Very Low
#1252of 1,456 cities
#1252 of 1,456 cities in Illinois for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
3.7
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 3.7/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+1.9 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
108d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $593/mo. A contested eviction takes 108 days and costs $5,375–$15,717 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
36.0%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 1,498 residents, 36.0% rent. 19% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 21.2% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
3
Local + regional
The politics
Light-statute interior market.
Local & regional political climate score 3 and 3 (GOP margin +61.2% (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 4.6, housing court bias 5, rent-control risk 2. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-0.4 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
7.3
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 7.3. Supply constraint: 4.6. The numbers behind those: 21.2% poverty, 4.9% unemployment, 19% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Winchester sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Winchester · 108d · ~$10.5k all-in ($98/day) · score 3.7National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Winchester, Illinois, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 3.7/10 (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.
Winchester is a city of 1,498 residents where 36.0% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 18.9% of income on rent. At an average rent of $593/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 Winchester eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 4.6/10, 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 Winchester closes 108 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 Winchester's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 5/10 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 Winchester runs $5,375 to $15,717 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 108 days of typical timeline and $593/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 7.5/10 in Winchester, and the city has limited rent control exposure (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 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 Winchester: 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 $15,717 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Winchester
Trap · 36.0%
36.0% renter share against 1,498 residents produces roughly 539 rental occupants in Winchester. Scott County voted R 56.3% in 2020. Eviction filings tend to cluster in the multifamily rental corridor.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my tenant pays after the 5-day notice, but late?
If your tenant pays the full amount owed within the 5-day notice period, you must accept it, and the notice is voided. They stay. If they pay *after* the 5-day period has expired but before you've filed in court, you have a choice. You can accept it and restart the clock, or refuse it and proceed with filing the eviction. Accepting late payment after the notice expires can be risky; discuss with your attorney.
Q2
Can I turn off utilities if my tenant won't leave?
Absolutely not. Turning off utilities, changing locks, or removing a tenant's belongings are illegal self-help eviction tactics in Illinois. These actions can lead to serious legal penalties, including fines and the tenant suing you for damages. You must follow the legal process through the courts.
Q3
How long does it take for the sheriff to actually remove a tenant after a court order?
After a judge issues an order for possession, you'll typically need to deliver this order to the Scott County Sheriff's office. They will then schedule a lockout. This can take anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks, depending on the sheriff's workload. They will usually post a final notice on the door before the actual lockout.
Q4
Do I need an attorney for an eviction in Winchester?
While it's technically possible to represent yourself in Illinois small claims court, for an eviction case, it's highly recommended to hire an attorney. The rules are complex, and a single procedural error can cause your case to be dismissed, forcing you to start over and costing you more time and money. Given the average 108-day timeline and significant costs, an attorney is a smart investment.
Q5
Can I charge late fees in Winchester?
Yes, you can charge reasonable late fees as long as they are clearly stated in your lease agreement. Illinois law generally considers late fees reasonable if they are not punitive. A common late fee might be $25 or $30, or a percentage of the monthly rent, typically 5-10%. Make sure your lease specifies when the fee kicks in (e.g., after the 5th of the month).
A 3.7/10 places Winchester in the 20th 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 Winchester (3.7/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
