In court-decided eviction outcomes for Passaic, NJ, tenants prevail in roughly 50.3% of contested cases. A higher number means landlords face stronger tenant defenses, longer calendars, and more required documentation — landlord-friendliness drops as this rises.
Timeline
177d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Passaic, NJ until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 177 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$9.0–26.5k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Passaic, NJ costs landlords $8,971 to $26,481 all-in — court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,465
35% stretched on rent
Median gross rent in Passaic, NJ is $1,465 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 35% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent — the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
76.2%
of households
76.2% of occupied housing units in Passaic, 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
23.1%
11.4% unemp.
23.1% of Passaic, NJ residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 11.4%. 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 +2.9% (2024)
6.2
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
6.2
State political climate
New Jersey legislature & governorship
6.8
Economic stress
23.1% poverty · 11.4% unemp.
8.7
Supply constraint
$1,465 average · 76.2% renters
8.9
Rent Control risk
34.9% of income on rent
7.9
Eviction process difficulty
177 days filing → judgment
6.0
Tenant organizing strength
76.2% renters
9.9
Housing court bias
County bench composition
8.1
Geographic context
Risk heat across Passaic and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Passaic compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Passaic County
High
#5of 22 cities
#5 of 22 cities in Passaic County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in New Jersey
Very High
#52of 696 cities
#52 of 696 cities in New Jersey 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 — assume defenses on every filing. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+5.2 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
177d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,465/mo. A contested eviction takes 177 days and costs $8,971–$26,481 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
76.2%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 70,002 residents, 76.2% rent. 35% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 23.1% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
6.2
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 6.2 and 6.2 (GOP margin +2.9% (2024)). State climate at 6.8 — 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 shows up in process. Eviction process difficulty reads 6.0, housing court bias 8.1, rent-control risk 7.9. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +1.0 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
8.7
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the real risk.
Economic stress: 8.7. Supply constraint: 8.9. The numbers behind those: 23.1% poverty, 11.4% unemployment, 35% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Passaic sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Passaic · 177d · ~$17.7k all-in ($100/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 Passaic, New Jersey, 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.
Passaic is a city of 70,002 residents where 76.2% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 34.9% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,465/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 Passaic eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 6.0/10 — 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 Passaic closes 177 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 Passaic's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 8.1/10 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 Passaic runs $8,971 to $26,481 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 177 days of typical timeline and $1,465/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 9.9/10 in Passaic, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (7.9/10). Operations practice that survives audit in this environment looks like:
Screening discipline. Document income (verified at 2.5–3x 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 — exceed 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 Passaic: 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 — 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 $26,481 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Passaic
Trap · PRACTICAL TRAP
Cost-versus-timeline trade-off: at 177 days and roughly $26,481 on the high end, cash-for-keys at $10,592 to $15,888 typically beats the legal route for non-aggravated cases. Tenant defenses available under NJSA 2A:18-61.1 Anti-Eviction Act can extend this materially.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant in Passaic if their lease expires and I just want them out?
No, not usually. New Jersey has statewide just-cause eviction requirements. You cannot simply terminate a tenancy because the lease term ended unless you have one of the specific "for cause" reasons outlined in the Anti-Eviction Act, such as non-payment, lease violations, or owner occupancy. This is a critical difference from many other states. You need to understand New Jersey rent control rules as they relate to just cause.
Q2
How long does it really take to evict someone for non-payment in Passaic?
Our data shows an average of 177 days. While some cases might be faster, given the court backlog, tenant protections, and potential for adjournments, planning for at least six months is a realistic and safe estimate for a contested eviction in Passaic.
Q3
What's the biggest mistake landlords make in Passaic evictions?
The biggest mistake is usually procedural errors – incorrect notice, improper service, or failing to strictly follow the Anti-Eviction Act. New Jersey courts are very strict on landlord compliance. A close second is waiting too long to act or trying to handle the entire process without legal counsel. Don't be penny-wise and pound-foolish here; the costs of an error far outweigh attorney fees.
Q4
Is "cash for keys" legal in Passaic?
Yes, "cash for keys" is a legal and often recommended strategy. It's a mutual agreement where you offer a tenant money in exchange for them voluntarily vacating the property by a certain date, often leaving it in good condition. It avoids the lengthy and costly eviction court process, saving you significant time and money.
Q5
What if my tenant claims they lost their job and can't pay?
While unfortunate, a tenant's financial hardship does not negate their obligation to pay rent. You still must follow the proper eviction process. However, this might be a prime scenario for a "cash for keys" offer. It gives the tenant some funds to move and saves you the expense and time of a drawn-out eviction. Remember, Passaic has a high economic stress score (8.7/10), so this situation is not uncommon.
A 7.5/10 places Passaic in the 94th 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 1–10 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.
Neighborhoods in Passaic (1 with eviction-risk data)
Click a neighborhood to see its pop-weighted score, constituent census tracts, and demographics. Sorted by population.
