In court-decided eviction outcomes for Rushford, MN, tenants prevail in roughly 38.5% 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
88d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Rushford, MN until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 88 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$3.8–11.0k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Rushford, MN costs landlords $3,848 to $10,969 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$857
24% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Rushford, MN is $857 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 24% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
28.1%
of households
28.1% of occupied housing units in Rushford, MN 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
8.9%
3.7% unemp.
8.9% of Rushford, MN residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 3.7%. 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 +25.5% (2024)
5.5
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
5.5
State political climate
Minnesota legislature & governorship
4.3
Economic stress
8.9% poverty · 3.7% unemp.
5.1
Supply constraint
$857 average · 28.1% renters
5.0
Rent Control risk
23.9% of income on rent
6.2
Eviction process difficulty
88 days filing → judgment
4.4
Tenant organizing strength
28.1% renters
6.1
Housing court bias
County bench composition
5.5
Geographic context
Risk heat across Rushford and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Rushford compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Fillmore County
Low
#7of 10 cities
#7 of 10 cities in Fillmore County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Minnesota
Moderate
#423of 909 cities
#423 of 909 cities in Minnesota for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
4.8
/ 10 · MODERATE
The verdict
A Moderate-tier market.
Composite 4.8/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+1.9 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
88d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $857/mo. A contested eviction takes 88 days and costs $3,848–$10,969 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
28.1%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 1,826 residents, 28.1% rent. 24% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 8.9% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
5.5
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 5.5 and 5.5 (GOP margin +25.5% (2024)). State climate at 4.3, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
4.3
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 4.3/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 4.4, housing court bias 5.5, rent-control risk 6.2. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-0.6 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
5.1
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 5.1. Supply constraint: 5. The numbers behind those: 8.9% poverty, 3.7% unemployment, 24% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Rushford sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Rushford · 88d · ~$7.4k all-in ($84/day) · score 4.8National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Rushford, Minnesota, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 4.8/10 (MODERATE 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.
Rushford is a city of 1,826 residents where 28.1% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 23.9% of income on rent. At an average rent of $857/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 Rushford eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 4.4/10, 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 Rushford closes 88 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 Rushford's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 5.5/10 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 Rushford runs $3,848 to $10,969 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 88 days of typical timeline and $857/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 6.1/10 in Rushford, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (6.2/10). 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 Minnesota, 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 Rushford: 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 MODERATE 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 Minnesota's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $10,969 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Rushford
Trap · 6.2/10
The 4.5/10 score weighs nine sub-factors including political climate, court bias, supply constraint, and tenant organizing strength. Rushford's rent-control-risk sub-score is 6.2/10, driven by demographic and political pressure for tenant relief.
04Eviction filings
Live filings tracking · Eviction Lab
Princeton Eviction Lab Tracking System, state-level (no county tracker available). Last update 2026-05-01.
In the most recent month, 2,011 eviction cases were filed across the tracker's coverage area, 1.03× the historical baseline (near baseline). Past 12 months: 26,070 filings. Pandemic-era cumulative: 113,788.
2,011Past month
26,070Past 12 months
1.03×vs baseline (past mo)
11.5%Repeat-tenant filings
Notice requirement: no advance notice (in the case of nonpayment of rent). Filing fee: minimum filing fee of $310.
Last 36 months of filings2023-05-01 – 2026-04-01
Filings stayed roughly flat over the past 12 months.
Source: Eviction Lab Tracking System, Princeton University. Open Data Commons Attribution license.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant for any reason in Rushford?
No, you cannot evict for "any reason." You must have a legal cause, such as non-payment of rent, a lease violation, or the expiration of a lease term (with proper notice). Minnesota does not have statewide just-cause eviction, so you can choose not to renew a lease without specific "just cause," but you must still provide the correct notice period, typically 30 days for a month-to-month tenancy.
Q2
How long does a tenant have to pay after I give them a notice?
For non-payment of rent in Rushford, Minnesota law requires a 14-day pay-or-quit notice. This means the tenant has 14 calendar days from the date they receive the notice to either pay all the rent owed or move out. If they do neither, you can then proceed with filing an eviction lawsuit.
Q3
What if my tenant damages the property during an eviction?
If a tenant damages your property beyond normal wear and tear, you can deduct the cost of repairs from their security deposit. However, you must provide an itemized list of damages and costs within 21 days of them moving out. If the damages exceed the security deposit, you can sue the tenant in small claims court for the remaining balance, though collecting on such judgments can be difficult.
Q4
Can I charge a late fee for rent in Rushford?
Yes, you can charge a late fee for rent in Rushford, provided it is clearly stated in your lease agreement. Minnesota law does not set a specific cap on late fees, but they must be "reasonable." Excessive late fees can be challenged in court. Typically, a late fee of 5% of the monthly rent is considered reasonable.
Q5
Do I need an attorney for an eviction in Rushford?
While you are not legally required to have an attorney for an eviction in Minnesota, it is highly recommended, especially if this is your first eviction or if the tenant contests the case. An attorney can ensure all legal procedures are followed correctly, saving you time and preventing costly mistakes. The complexity of the eviction process, with its specific notice periods and court filings, makes legal counsel a valuable investment.
Q6
Does Rushford have rent control?
No, Rushford does not have rent control. Minnesota state law currently prohibits rent control policies statewide, meaning individual cities like Rushford cannot implement them. This provides landlords with flexibility in setting rent prices. You can learn more about this on our Minnesota rent control rules page.
A 4.8/10 places Rushford in the 64th percentile of Minnesota 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 Rushford (4.8/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
