Estimated values: The U.S. Census suppresses field-level data for small places. Estimated from constituent census tracts, pop-weighted from real underlying ACS data.
Tenant beats landlord
12.1%
/ 100 outcomes
In court-decided eviction outcomes for Phelps, KY, tenants prevail in roughly 12.1% 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
34d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Phelps, KY until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 34 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 Phelps, KY costs landlords $1,030 to $3,260 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$861
26% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Phelps, KY is $861 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 26% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
42.6%
of households
42.6% of occupied housing units in Phelps, KY 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
17.3%
89.2% unemp.
17.3% of Phelps, KY residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 89.2%. 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 +65.4% (2024)
2.8
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
2.8
State political climate
Kentucky legislature & governorship
2.1
Economic stress
17.3% poverty · 89.2% unemp.
8.7
Supply constraint
$861 average · 42.6% renters
5.4
Rent Control risk
25.8% of income on rent
1.5
Eviction process difficulty
34 days filing → judgment
2.5
Tenant organizing strength
42.6% renters
5.4
Housing court bias
County bench composition
1.4
Geographic context
Risk heat across Phelps and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Phelps compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Pike County
Very High
#1of 9 cities
#1 of 9 cities in Pike County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Kentucky
Very High
#49of 553 cities
#49 of 553 cities in Kentucky for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.8
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 2.8/10. 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
34d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $861/mo. A contested eviction takes 34 days and costs $1,030–$3,260 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
42.6%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 301 residents, 42.6% rent. 26% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 17.3% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
2.8
Local + regional
The politics
Light-statute interior market.
Local & regional political climate score 2.8 and 2.8 (GOP margin +65.4% (2024)). State climate at 2.1, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
2.1
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 2.1/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 2.5, housing court bias 1.4, rent-control risk 1.5. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-2.5 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
8.7
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the real risk.
Economic stress: 8.7. Supply constraint: 5.4. The numbers behind those: 17.3% poverty, 89.2% unemployment, 26% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Phelps sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Phelps · 34d · ~$2.1k all-in ($63/day) · score 2.8National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Phelps, Kentucky, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.8/10 (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.
Phelps is a city of 301 residents where 42.6% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 25.8% of income on rent. At an average rent of $861/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 Phelps 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 Phelps closes 34 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 Phelps's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 1.4/10 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 Phelps runs $1,030 to $3,260 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 34 days of typical timeline and $861/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 5.4/10 in Phelps, and the city has limited rent control exposure (1.5/10). 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 Kentucky, 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 Phelps: 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 Kentucky's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $3,260 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Phelps
Trap · KRS 383 URLTA OPT-IN
The 3.1/10 score weighs nine sub-factors. The most relevant for landlords are court bias, eviction process difficulty, and supply constraint. See the sub-score breakdown above. State-level framework: KRS 383 URLTA opt-in.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my tenant just disappears?
If your tenant abandons the property in Phelps, you still need to follow proper legal procedures to regain possession. Don't just change the locks. Document the abandonment (e.g., utilities disconnected, personal items removed), then typically you'd post a notice of abandonment and wait a specified period (often 10-14 days depending on state law) before formally taking possession. Consult with an attorney to ensure you don't illegally evict an absent tenant, which could lead to liability.
Q2
Can I turn off utilities if a tenant doesn't pay rent?
Absolutely not. In Kentucky, as in most states, turning off utilities is considered a "self-help" eviction and is illegal. You could face significant penalties and damages if you do this. Always follow the formal eviction process through the courts.
Q3
How often can I raise the rent in Phelps?
Kentucky does not have rent control, so there are no state-mandated limits on how much or how often you can raise the rent. However, you must provide proper notice before increasing rent, typically 30 days for month-to-month leases. For fixed-term leases, you can only raise the rent when the lease term expires and a new lease is being offered.
Q4
Do I need a lawyer for every eviction?
While you can file a forcible detainer yourself, it's highly recommended to consult or hire an attorney for evictions, especially if it's your first time or if the tenant is contesting the eviction. An attorney ensures all paperwork is correct, deadlines are met, and you navigate court procedures properly, saving you time and potential legal headaches in the long run. See our general Kentucky eviction risk overview for more information.
Q5
What's the biggest mistake landlords make in Phelps?
The biggest mistake is delaying action when a tenant stops paying rent or violates the lease. Every day you wait after a violation costs you money and makes the situation harder to resolve. Be prompt with notices and legal filings. The second biggest mistake is not having a solid lease or cutting corners on tenant screening.
A 2.8/10 places Phelps in the 96th percentile of Kentucky 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 Phelps (2.8/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
