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
51.3%
/ 100 outcomes
In court-decided eviction outcomes for Burleigh, NJ, tenants prevail in roughly 51.3% 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
182d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Burleigh, NJ until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 182 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$10.4–25.6k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Burleigh, NJ costs landlords $10,399 to $25,590 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,420
33% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Burleigh, NJ is $1,420 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 33% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
22.4%
of households
22.4% of occupied housing units in Burleigh, NJ 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
5.5%
7.1% unemp.
5.5% of Burleigh, NJ residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 7.1%. 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 +19.2% (2024)
4.8
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
4.8
State political climate
New Jersey legislature & governorship
6.8
Economic stress
5.5% poverty · 7.1% unemp.
2.2
Supply constraint
$1,420 average · 22.4% renters
1.0
Rent Control risk
33.1% of income on rent
5.3
Eviction process difficulty
182 days filing → judgment
6.7
Tenant organizing strength
22.4% renters
1.0
Housing court bias
County bench composition
4.7
Geographic context
Risk heat across Burleigh and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Burleigh compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Cape May County
Very Low
#26of 32 cities
#26 of 32 cities in Cape May County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in New Jersey
Very Low
#680of 696 cities
#680 of 696 cities in New Jersey for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
6.2
/ 10 · ELEVATED
The verdict
A Elevated-tier market.
Composite 6.2/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+2.6 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
182d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,420/mo. A contested eviction takes 182 days and costs $10,399–$25,590 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
22.4%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 159 residents, 22.4% rent. 33% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 5.5% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
4.8
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 4.8 and 4.8 (GOP margin +19.2% (2024)). State climate at 6.8, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
6.8
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 6.8/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 6.7, housing court bias 4.7, rent-control risk 5.3. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +1.7 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
2.2
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 2.2. Supply constraint: 1. The numbers behind those: 5.5% poverty, 7.1% unemployment, 33% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Burleigh sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Burleigh · 182d · ~$18.0k all-in ($99/day) · score 6.2National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Burleigh, New Jersey, presents an elevated-friction market where documented notices and proactive screening matter. The Eviction Risk Score is 6.2/10 (ELEVATED 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 Elevated-friction market where lease drafting, screening discipline, and well-documented notices materially change outcomes.
Burleigh is a city of 159 residents where 22.4% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 33.1% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,420/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 Burleigh eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 6.7/10, 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 Burleigh closes 182 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 Burleigh's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 4.7/10 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 Burleigh runs $10,399 to $25,590 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 182 days of typical timeline and $1,420/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 1/10 in Burleigh, and the city has limited rent control exposure (5.3/10). 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 New Jersey, 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 Burleigh: 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 ELEVATED 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 New Jersey's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $25,590 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Burleigh
Trap · R+15.9
Burleigh reflects the demographic and political composition of Cape May County, with eviction procedure governed at the state level. Cape May County 2020 margin: R+15.9.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What is "just cause" eviction in New Jersey?
New Jersey requires "just cause" for nearly all evictions, meaning you must have a legally recognized reason to evict a tenant. Reasons include non-payment of rent, lease violations, disorderly conduct, or property damage. You can't simply ask a tenant to leave because their lease is up, unlike in some other states. This is due to the state's Anti-Eviction Act.
Q2
Can I charge a late fee for overdue rent in Burleigh?
Yes, you can charge late fees, but New Jersey law regulates them. For residential tenancies, late fees must be reasonable and are typically capped. For example, for tenancies in buildings with three or more units, late fees can't exceed 5% of the monthly rent. Always check the most current state statutes or consult an attorney to ensure your late fee policy is compliant.
Q3
How long do I have to return a security deposit in New Jersey?
You have 30 days from the date the tenant vacates the property to return their security deposit or provide an itemized list of deductions. If you fail to do so, you could be liable for double the amount of the security deposit wrongfully withheld.
Q4
Is rent control an issue in Burleigh, NJ?
While Burleigh itself is very small and doesn't have local rent control ordinances, New Jersey has a moderate rent-control-risk sub-score of 5.3 statewide. Some municipalities in New Jersey do have rent control. It's crucial to stay informed about any potential state-level changes or new local ordinances, although currently, Burleigh does not have its own rent control. For more info, see New Jersey rent control rules.
Q5
What if my tenant claims a maintenance issue to avoid paying rent?
In New Jersey, tenants have certain rights regarding habitability. If a tenant genuinely has a serious maintenance issue that impacts the safety or health of the property, they might be able to withhold rent in an escrow account, but this is a complex legal area. Address all legitimate maintenance requests promptly. If you suspect a tenant is using a minor issue as an excuse, consult your attorney immediately. Self-help evictions are illegal.
Q6
Do I have to accept Section 8 or other housing vouchers?
Yes, New Jersey has statewide source-of-income protection. This means you cannot refuse to rent to a tenant solely because they use a Section 8 voucher or another form of lawful income assistance to pay rent. Discrimination based on source of income is illegal. See New Jersey tenant protections for more details.
A 6.2/10 places Burleigh in the 3rd percentile of New Jersey 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 Burleigh (6.2/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
