In court-decided eviction outcomes for Simonton Lake, IN, tenants prevail in roughly 17.8% 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
36d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Simonton Lake, IN until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 36 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.0–3.3k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Simonton Lake, IN costs landlords $1,035 to $3,296 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,108
51% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Simonton Lake, IN is $1,108 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
20.0%
of households
20.0% of occupied housing units in Simonton Lake, IN 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
10.6%
2.6% unemp.
10.6% of Simonton Lake, IN residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 2.6%. 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 +32.4% (2024)
4.2
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
4.2
State political climate
Indiana legislature & governorship
2.0
Economic stress
10.6% poverty · 2.6% unemp.
5.0
Supply constraint
$1,108 average · 20.0% renters
5.8
Rent Control risk
51.0% of income on rent
9.2
Eviction process difficulty
36 days filing → judgment
2.1
Tenant organizing strength
20.0% renters
4.8
Housing court bias
County bench composition
7.3
Geographic context
Risk heat across Simonton Lake and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Simonton Lake compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Elkhart County
Moderate
#7of 12 cities
#7 of 12 cities in Elkhart County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Indiana
Elevated
#379of 971 cities
#379 of 971 cities in Indiana for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.3
/ 10 · VERY LOW
The verdict
A Very low-tier market.
Composite 2.3/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+0.0 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
36d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,108/mo. A contested eviction takes 36 days and costs $1,035–$3,296 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
20.0%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 4,248 residents, 20.0% rent. 51% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 10.6% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
4.2
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 4.2 and 4.2 (GOP margin +32.4% (2024)). State climate at 2, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
2
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 2/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 2.1, housing court bias 7.3, rent-control risk 9.2. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-2.9 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
5
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 5. Supply constraint: 5.8. The numbers behind those: 10.6% poverty, 2.6% 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
Simonton Lake sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Simonton Lake · 36d · ~$2.2k all-in ($60/day) · score 2.3National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Simonton Lake, Indiana, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.3/10 (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.
Simonton Lake is a city of 4,248 residents where 20.0% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 51.0% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,108/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 Simonton Lake eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 2.1/10, 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 Simonton Lake closes 36 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 Simonton Lake's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 7.3/10 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 Simonton Lake runs $1,035 to $3,296 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 36 days of typical timeline and $1,108/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 4.8/10 in Simonton Lake, and the city sits at the top of the rent control risk spectrum (9.2/10). 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 Indiana, 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 Simonton Lake: 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 Indiana's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $3,296 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Simonton Lake
Trap · 9.2/10
The 4.6/10 score weighs nine sub-factors including political climate, court bias, supply constraint, and tenant organizing strength. Simonton Lake's rent-control-risk sub-score is 9.2/10, driven by demographic and political pressure for tenant relief.
04Eviction filings
Live filings tracking · Eviction Lab
Princeton Eviction Lab Tracking System, state-level (no county tracker available). Last update 2026-05-01.
In the most recent month, 5,536 eviction cases were filed across the tracker's coverage area, 0.95× the historical baseline (below baseline). Past 12 months: 71,124 filings. Pandemic-era cumulative: 388,307.
5,536Past month
71,124Past 12 months
0.95×vs baseline (past mo)
17.2%Repeat-tenant filings
Notice requirement: at least ten days notice (in some cases more). Filing fee: minimum filing fee of $87 (depending on the filing method).
Last 36 months of filings2023-05-01 – 2026-04-01
Filings dropped 5% over the past 12 months.
Source: Eviction Lab Tracking System, Princeton University. Open Data Commons Attribution license.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant in Simonton Lake for no reason?
No, not exactly. You can terminate a month-to-month tenancy with a 30-day notice without stating a specific "reason." However, during a fixed-term lease, you generally need a lease violation (like non-payment of rent) or a specific clause in your lease allowing early termination. Indiana does not have statewide just-cause eviction requirements for landlords.
Q2
What if my tenant pays partial rent after I give notice?
Do not accept partial rent once you've issued a pay-or-quit notice if you intend to proceed with eviction. Accepting partial payment can be seen as waiving your right to evict based on that notice, forcing you to issue a new notice and start the timeline over. If you want to accept partial payment, get a clear written agreement that it does not waive your right to evict for the remaining balance. Better yet, consult an attorney.
Q3
How long does an eviction typically take in Simonton Lake?
The typical eviction timeline in Simonton Lake is about 36 days from the initial notice to the tenant vacating. This can vary based on court schedules, how quickly the tenant is served, and whether they contest the eviction.
Q4
Is there rent control in Simonton Lake?
No, there is no rent control in Simonton Lake or anywhere else in Indiana. State law prohibits local governments from enacting rent control measures. However, our data shows a high rent-control-risk sub-score of 9.2/10, meaning this issue could potentially resurface in the future. Stay informed on state legislative changes by checking our Indiana rent control rules page.
Q5
Can I just change the locks if my tenant won't leave?
Absolutely not. This is an illegal "self-help" eviction and can result in severe penalties, including fines and having to pay damages to the tenant. You must follow the legal eviction process through the courts. Always get a court order for possession before attempting to remove a tenant.
Q6
Do I need an attorney for an eviction in Simonton Lake?
While you can represent yourself in small claims court, with a housing-court bias score of 7.3/10, hiring an attorney is highly recommended, especially if the tenant is uncooperative or you anticipate a contested case. An attorney can ensure all procedural steps are followed correctly, saving you time and money in the long run.
A 2.3/10 places Simonton Lake in the 70th percentile of Indiana 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 Simonton Lake (2.3/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
