In court-decided eviction outcomes for Colfax, LA, tenants prevail in roughly 17.7% 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
48d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Colfax, LA until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 48 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.4–3.9k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Colfax, LA costs landlords $1,443 to $3,949 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$499
31% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Colfax, LA is $499 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 31% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
46.6%
of households
46.6% of occupied housing units in Colfax, LA 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
35.0%
4.4% unemp.
35.0% of Colfax, LA residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 4.4%. 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 +76.8% (2024)
2.2
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
2.2
State political climate
Louisiana legislature & governorship
2.3
Economic stress
35.0% poverty · 4.4% unemp.
7.8
Supply constraint
$499 average · 46.6% renters
4.9
Rent Control risk
30.6% of income on rent
7.1
Eviction process difficulty
48 days filing → judgment
2.4
Tenant organizing strength
46.6% renters
8.2
Housing court bias
County bench composition
8.2
Geographic context
Risk heat across Colfax and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Colfax compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Grant Parish
Elevated
#3of 8 cities
#3 of 8 cities in Grant Parish for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Louisiana
Elevated
#200of 489 cities
#200 of 489 cities in Louisiana for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.7
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 2.7/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend-0.1 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
48d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $499/mo. A contested eviction takes 48 days and costs $1,443–$3,949 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
46.6%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 1,240 residents, 46.6% rent. 31% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 35.0% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
2.2
Local + regional
The politics
Light-statute interior market.
Local & regional political climate score 2.2 and 2.2 (GOP margin +76.8% (2024)). State climate at 2.3, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
2.3
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 2.3/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 2.4, housing court bias 8.2, rent-control risk 7.1. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-2.6 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
7.8
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 7.8. Supply constraint: 4.9. The numbers behind those: 35.0% poverty, 4.4% unemployment, 31% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Colfax sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Colfax · 48d · ~$2.7k all-in ($56/day) · score 2.7National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Colfax, Louisiana, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.7/10 (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.
Colfax is a city of 1,240 residents where 46.6% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 30.6% of income on rent. At an average rent of $499/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 Colfax eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 2.4/10, 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 Colfax closes 48 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 Colfax's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 8.2/10 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 Colfax runs $1,443 to $3,949 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 48 days of typical timeline and $499/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 8.2/10 in Colfax, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (7.1/10). 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 Louisiana, 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 Colfax: 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 Louisiana's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $3,949 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Colfax
Trap · PRACTICAL TRAP
Cost-versus-timeline trade-off: at 48 days and roughly $3,949 on the high end, cash-for-keys at $1,579 to $2,369 typically beats the legal route for non-aggravated cases. Default judgment frequency is high under La. C.C.P. 4701.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my Colfax tenant just disappears?
If your tenant abandons the property and leaves their belongings, you still need to follow proper procedure. Don't just change the locks. You generally need to send a notice of abandonment and store their property for a certain period (usually 30 days in Louisiana). If they don't claim it, you can dispose of it. Consult an attorney to ensure you don't face claims later.
Q2
Can I raise the rent in Colfax without limits?
Yes, Louisiana does not have statewide rent control, and Colfax does not have local rent control ordinances. The rent-control-risk sub-score is 7.1, indicating a moderate future risk, but for now, you can raise rent as the market dictates, provided you give proper notice (usually 30 days for month-to-month leases) and don't violate an existing fixed-term lease. Keep an eye on the Louisiana rent control rules for any future changes.
Q3
How do I handle a tenant who makes partial rent payments?
This is tricky. If you accept a partial payment after issuing a 5-day notice, you might unintentionally waive your right to evict based on that notice. It's often safer to decline partial payments if you intend to proceed with eviction. If you do accept, issue a new notice for the remaining balance. Better yet, get clear advice from an attorney on how to handle partial payments without jeopardizing your eviction case.
Q4
What if my tenant claims I haven't made repairs?
Tenants in Louisiana generally cannot withhold rent for repairs. They must notify you of needed repairs, and if you fail to act, they might have grounds to sue you or break the lease. However, they can't unilaterally stop paying. Keep meticulous records of all maintenance requests and your responses. Document everything with photos and timestamps.
Q5
Can I screen tenants based on their criminal history in Colfax?
Yes, generally. Louisiana law does not prohibit landlords from considering criminal history. However, HUD guidance suggests a careful approach to avoid disparate impact. Focus on convictions, not just arrests, and consider the nature and severity of the crime, and how recent it was. Blanket bans on anyone with a criminal record can be problematic.
A 2.7/10 places Colfax in the 60th percentile of Louisiana 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 Colfax (2.7/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
