Houston County, Minnesota Eviction Risk: Moderate

Houston County, Minnesota eviction laws carries an average eviction-risk score of 4.7/10 (Moderate), placing it at rank 69 of 87 counties statewide. That position means 68 Minnesota eviction laws counties score higher and carry more landlord risk; only 18 counties in the state are considered less risky than Houston County. For investors evaluating this corner of southeastern Minnesota eviction laws, the headline number signals a market where tenant defaults and eviction filings are relatively infrequent, average rent sits at $860 per month, and the renter share of households is a modest 19.7%, keeping vacancy competition manageable for smaller portfolios.

The intra-county spread runs from 4.5 to 5.2 across the county's 9 cities, which is a tighter band than many rural Minnesota counties but still wide enough to matter at the deal level. A landlord buying in the lowest-risk city faces meaningfully different operating conditions than one in the highest-risk pocket, even though both fall within the same Low county label. Understanding that granularity is the most practical takeaway from the data.

The cities inside Houston County

The highest risk concentrates in three cities that each score 3.9/10: Caledonia (population 2,820), Houston (population 982), and Hokah (population 668). These are still Low-tier scores in absolute terms, but landlords in Caledonia and Houston should anticipate slightly higher rates of tenant financial stress relative to the county average, and factor that into screening standards and cash-flow projections.

La Crescent, the county's largest city at 5,251 residents, scores 4.7/10, landing right at the county average. Spring Grove (1,177 residents) and Dresbach (286 residents) each score 4.8/10, Brownsville comes in at 4.8/10, and La Crescent sits at the county's floor of 4.5/10. That bottom score in Mabel is meaningfully below the county average, making it the standout low-risk option for investors who prioritize stability over scale. Risk is genuinely hyper-local here: the gap between Caledonia and Mabel is eight tenths of a point, a difference that shows up in real collections outcomes over time.

State-level laws that apply here

Every landlord in Houston County operates under Minnesota eviction laws eviction law. For nonpayment of rent, state law requires a 14-day notice to the tenant before filing, while a material lease violation or termination of a month-to-month tenancy each require a 30-day notice. Minnesota eviction laws does not require just cause for termination, which preserves landlord flexibility at lease-end. There is no statewide rent cap, and Minnesota eviction laws does not preempt local rent control, though no Houston County municipality currently imposes one. Understanding the full Minnesota eviction laws eviction process is essential before acquiring rental units here, because timeline miscalculations add direct holding costs.

Once notices are served and a case proceeds, an uncontested eviction typically resolves in 30 to 60 days; a contested case can stretch to 60 to 150 days. Court filing fees run $310 to $410, sheriff lockout fees add $55 to $150, and attorney fees range from $750 to $3,000 depending on complexity. Landlords who want a full breakdown of what an eviction costs before it starts should review Minnesota eviction costs in detail. The 24-hour entry-notice requirement under Minnesota eviction laws law is another procedural detail that catches out-of-state investors off guard, so document every entry carefully.

With a poverty rate of 7.7% and fewer than one in five households renting, Houston County's tenant base is comparatively stable, but the city grid above is worth reviewing before committing to any specific submarket, since scores across the county's 9 cities range by nearly a full point.