Estimated values: The U.S. Census suppresses field-level data for small places. Estimated from county average, pop-weighted from real underlying ACS data.
Tenant beats landlord
41.0%
/ 100 outcomes
In court-decided eviction outcomes for Cabin John, MD, tenants prevail in roughly 41.0% 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
145d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Cabin John, MD until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 145 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$6.8-17.1k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Cabin John, MD costs landlords $6,782 to $17,053 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$3,501
23% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Cabin John, MD is $3,501 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 23% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
4.9%
of households
4.9% of occupied housing units in Cabin John, MD 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
0.1%
4.7% unemp.
0.1% of Cabin John, MD residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 4.7%. 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
Dem margin +53.3% (2024)
8.2
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
8.2
State political climate
Maryland legislature & governorship
5.7
Economic stress
0.1% poverty · 4.7% unemp.
1.4
Supply constraint
$3,501 average · 4.9% renters
2.1
Rent Control risk
22.5% of income on rent
4.8
Eviction process difficulty
145 days filing → judgment
5.8
Tenant organizing strength
4.9% renters
2.1
Housing court bias
County bench composition
4.2
Geographic context
Risk heat across Cabin John and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Cabin John compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Montgomery County
Very Low
#47of 56 cities
#47 of 56 cities in Montgomery County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Maryland
Elevated
#213of 532 cities
#213 of 532 cities in Maryland for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
7.5
/ 10 · HIGH
The verdict
A High-tier market.
Composite 7.5/10. High statutory friction with active tenant counsel, so assume defenses on every filing. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+6.3 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
145d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $3,501/mo. A contested eviction takes 145 days and costs $6,782-$17,053 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
4.9%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 2,179 residents, 4.9% rent. 23% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 0.1% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
8.2
Local + regional
The politics
Strong-tenant coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 8.2 and 8.2 (Dem margin +53.3% (2024)). State climate at 5.7, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
5.7
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 5.7/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 5.8, housing court bias 4.2, rent-control risk 4.8. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +0.8 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
1.4
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 1.4. Supply constraint: 2.1. The numbers behind those: 0.1% poverty, 4.7% unemployment, 23% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Cabin John sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Cabin John · 145d · ~$11.9k all-in ($82/day) · score 7.5National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0-4 4-7 7-10
Landlording in Cabin John, Maryland, presents a high-friction environment where attorney involvement on every filing is the norm. The Eviction Risk Score is 7.5/10 (HIGH 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 High-friction landlord market where lease drafting, screening discipline, and well-documented notices materially change outcomes.
Cabin John is a city of 2,179 residents where 4.9% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 22.5% of income on rent. At an average rent of $3,501/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 Cabin John eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 5.8/10, 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 Cabin John closes 145 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 Cabin John's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 4.2/10 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 Cabin John runs $6,782 to $17,053 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 145 days of typical timeline and $3,501/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 2.1/10 in Cabin John, and the city has limited rent control exposure (4.8/10). 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 Maryland, 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 Cabin John: 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 HIGH 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 Maryland's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $17,053 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Cabin John
Trap · PRACTICAL TRAP
Compare Cabin John to neighboring cities in Montgomery County via the grid below. The 6/10 score is computed from nine sub-factors plus a state-law multiplier under Real Property 8-401. Montgomery County 2020 presidential margin: D+59.6. Cross-reference the state overview link in the guides section for Maryland statutory detail.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I turn off utilities if my Cabin John tenant doesn't pay rent?
Absolutely not. Turning off utilities, changing locks, or removing a tenant's belongings are illegal "self-help" eviction tactics in Maryland. You can face severe penalties, including fines and being liable for damages to the tenant. Always follow the proper legal eviction process through the courts.
Q2
How much notice do I need to give to increase rent in Cabin John?
For month-to-month tenancies in Maryland, you generally need to give at least 30 days' written notice before raising rent. If your lease has a fixed term, you cannot raise the rent until the lease term expires, unless the lease specifically allows for it. Always check your lease and local Montgomery County ordinances for any additional requirements.
Q3
What if my tenant claims a maintenance issue to avoid paying rent?
Tenants in Maryland can sometimes use "rent escrow" if you fail to make necessary repairs. This means they pay their rent into a court-supervised account instead of directly to you. To avoid this, address legitimate maintenance issues promptly and in writing. Keep records of all repair requests and your responses. If a tenant is withholding rent without a valid court order, it's still non-payment, and you can proceed with the 10-day notice.
Q4
Can I charge late fees for overdue rent in Cabin John?
Yes, Maryland law allows for late fees. The maximum late fee you can charge is 5% of the monthly rent. This must be clearly stated in your lease agreement. You can only charge a late fee if the rent is not paid by the date specified in the lease, typically after a grace period of a few days.
Q5
Is "cash for keys" a legal option in Maryland?
Yes, "cash for keys" is a legal and often effective strategy in Maryland. It's a voluntary agreement where you offer the tenant money to vacate the property by a certain date and leave it in good condition. It can save you months of lost rent and thousands in legal fees compared to a contested eviction. Always put the agreement in writing and have both parties sign it.
A 7.5/10 places Cabin John in the 61st percentile of Maryland 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 risen sharply 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 Cabin John (7.5/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
