In court-decided eviction outcomes for Stony Point, MI, tenants prevail in roughly 27.0% 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
62d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Stony Point, MI until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 62 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$2.3–5.8k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Stony Point, MI costs landlords $2,265 to $5,818 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$985
20% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Stony Point, MI is $985 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 20% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
29.6%
of households
29.6% of occupied housing units in Stony Point, MI 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
10.5%
12.7% unemp.
10.5% of Stony Point, MI residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 12.7%. 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
GOP margin +27.1% (2024)
4.5
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
4.5
State political climate
Michigan legislature & governorship
3.3
Economic stress
10.5% poverty · 12.7% unemp.
7.3
Supply constraint
$985 average · 29.6% renters
6.0
Rent Control risk
19.6% of income on rent
2.1
Eviction process difficulty
62 days filing → judgment
3.5
Tenant organizing strength
29.6% renters
6.0
Housing court bias
County bench composition
3.7
Geographic context
Risk heat across Stony Point and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Stony Point compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Monroe County
High
#4of 17 cities
#4 of 17 cities in Monroe County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Michigan
High
#145of 743 cities
#145 of 743 cities in Michigan for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
3.3
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 3.3/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+1.3 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
62d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $985/mo. A contested eviction takes 62 days and costs $2,265–$5,818 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
29.6%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 1,825 residents, 29.6% rent. 20% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 10.5% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
4.5
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 4.5 and 4.5 (GOP margin +27.1% (2024)). State climate at 3.3, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
3.3
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 3.3/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 3.5, housing court bias 3.7, rent-control risk 2.1. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-1.5 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
7.3
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 7.3. Supply constraint: 6. The numbers behind those: 10.5% poverty, 12.7% unemployment, 20% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Stony Point sits in the slow but cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Stony Point · 62d · ~$4.0k all-in ($65/day) · score 3.3National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Stony Point, Michigan, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 3.3/10 (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.
Stony Point is a city of 1,825 residents where 29.6% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 19.6% of income on rent. At an average rent of $985/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 Stony Point eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 3.5/10, 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 Stony Point closes 62 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 Stony Point's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 3.7/10 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 Stony Point runs $2,265 to $5,818 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 62 days of typical timeline and $985/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 6/10 in Stony Point, and the city has limited rent control exposure (2.1/10). 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 Michigan, 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 Stony Point: 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 Michigan's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $5,818 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Stony Point
Trap · PRACTICAL TRAP
Cost-versus-timeline trade-off: at 62 days and roughly $5,818 on the high end, cash-for-keys at $2,327 to $3,490 typically beats the legal route for non-aggravated cases. Default judgment frequency is high under MCL 600.5701.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my tenant claims a maintenance issue for not paying rent?
In Michigan, tenants generally can't withhold rent for maintenance issues without going through a specific legal process, like depositing rent into an escrow account. However, they might use it as a defense in court. Respond to maintenance requests promptly and keep records of all communications and repairs. If it's a serious habitability issue, address it immediately.
Q2
Can I charge late fees in Stony Point?
Yes, you can charge reasonable late fees in Michigan, provided they are clearly outlined in your lease agreement. There's no statewide cap, but courts typically consider fees that are punitive rather than compensatory for your actual losses (like administrative costs) to be unreasonable. A common practice is a flat fee or a small percentage of the rent if not paid by a specific grace period (e.g., 5 days).
Q3
Do I need an attorney for every eviction?
While not legally required for every eviction, especially straightforward, uncontested ones, it's highly recommended in Stony Point given the 5.6/10 risk score and the potential for court bias. An attorney can ensure all notices are correct, court filings are timely, and you navigate any tenant defenses effectively, saving you money and headaches in the long run. The cost of a mistake can be far higher than legal fees.
Q4
What's the best way to screen for previous evictions?
Beyond credit reports, use a specialized tenant screening service that specifically checks eviction databases. These services often provide more comprehensive eviction history than a standard credit check. Always call previous landlords and ask direct questions about payment history and whether they would re-rent to the tenant.
Q5
How does Stony Point's rent-to-income ratio affect my risk?
Stony Point has a rent-to-income ratio of 19.6%, which is relatively low compared to some areas. This means, on average, tenants are spending a smaller portion of their income on rent. While this might suggest less financial stress, the economic stress sub-score of 7.3 indicates that many individual tenants could still be struggling. Don't let the overall low rent-to-income ratio lull you into a false sense of security; individual tenant finances matter most.
A 3.3/10 places Stony Point in the 87th percentile of Michigan 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 Stony Point (3.3/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
