In court-decided eviction outcomes for Davenport, IA, tenants prevail in roughly 10.0% 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
43d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Davenport, IA until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 43 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.5–3.5k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Davenport, IA costs landlords $1,504 to $3,498 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$978
30% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Davenport, IA is $978 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 30% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
37.1%
of households
37.1% of occupied housing units in Davenport, IA 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
15.6%
4.8% unemp.
15.6% of Davenport, IA residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 4.8%. 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 +3.9% (2024)
4.5
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
3.5
State political climate
Iowa legislature & governorship
2.5
Economic stress
15.6% poverty · 4.8% unemp.
6.0
Supply constraint
$978 average · 37.1% renters
3.5
Rent Control risk
29.9% of income on rent
1.0
Eviction process difficulty
43 days filing → judgment
2.5
Tenant organizing strength
37.1% renters
3.0
Housing court bias
County bench composition
2.5
Geographic context
Risk heat across Davenport and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Davenport compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Scott County
Very High
#2of 20 cities
#2 of 20 cities in Scott County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Iowa
Elevated
#297of 1,026 cities
#297 of 1,026 cities in Iowa for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.6
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 2.6/10. 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
43d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $978/mo. A contested eviction takes 43 days and costs $1,504–$3,498 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
37.1%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 100,913 residents, 37.1% rent. 30% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 15.6% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
4
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 4.5 and 3.5 (GOP margin +3.9% (2024)). State climate at 2.5, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
2.5
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 2.5/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 2.5, housing court bias 2.5, rent-control risk 1. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-2.5 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
6
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 6. Supply constraint: 3.5. The numbers behind those: 15.6% poverty, 4.8% unemployment, 30% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Davenport sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Davenport · 43d · ~$2.5k all-in ($58/day) · score 2.6National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Davenport, Iowa, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.6/10 (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.
Davenport is a city of 100,913 residents where 37.1% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 3.1% of income on rent. At an average rent of $978/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 Davenport eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 2.5/10, 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 Davenport closes 43 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 Davenport's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 2.5/10 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 Davenport runs $1,504 to $3,498 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 43 days of typical timeline and $978/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 3/10 in Davenport, and the city has limited rent control exposure (1/10). 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 Iowa, 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 Davenport: 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 Iowa's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $3,498 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Davenport
Trap · PRACTICAL TRAP
Cost-versus-timeline trade-off: at 43 days and roughly $3,498 on the high end, cash-for-keys at $1,399 to $2,098 typically beats the legal route for non-aggravated cases. Default judgment frequency is high under Iowa Code 562A URLTA.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant in Davenport without a reason?
No, you cannot evict without a reason. You need a "just cause" like non-payment of rent, a lease violation, or the end of a lease term. However, Iowa does not have statewide "just cause" eviction requirements that limit your ability to not renew a lease without cause, unlike some other states. For month-to-month tenancies, you can terminate with a 30-day notice.
Q2
How long does it take to evict someone for non-payment in Davenport?
The typical timeline for an eviction in Davenport, from notice to lockout, is about 43 days. This can vary based on court schedules and if the tenant contests the eviction, but Iowa's process is generally efficient for landlords.
Q3
What if my tenant refuses to leave after the eviction is granted?
If the court grants you a writ of possession and the tenant still refuses to leave, you must involve the sheriff. The sheriff is the only one authorized to physically remove a tenant and their belongings. Do not attempt to remove them yourself, as this can lead to legal problems for you.
Q4
What are the rules for returning a security deposit in Davenport?
You must return the security deposit within 30 days of the tenant moving out. You can deduct for unpaid rent or damages beyond normal wear and tear. If you make deductions, you must provide an itemized list to the tenant. The maximum security deposit you can charge is 2.00 months' rent.
Q5
Can I raise the rent whenever I want in Davenport?
No, you cannot raise the rent whenever you want. You must follow the terms of your lease agreement. If you have a fixed-term lease, you generally cannot raise the rent until the lease expires. For month-to-month tenancies, you typically need to provide a 30-day written notice before the rent increase takes effect. There are no statewide rent control rules in Iowa, so you can raise it to market rates with proper notice. See Iowa rent control rules for more.
A 2.6/10 places Davenport in the 74th percentile of Iowa 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.
Neighborhoods in Davenport (7 with eviction-risk data)
Click a neighborhood to see its pop-weighted score, constituent census tracts, and demographics. Sorted by population.
