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
28.2%
/ 100 outcomes
In court-decided eviction outcomes for North Light Plant, NM, tenants prevail in roughly 28.2% 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
80d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in North Light Plant, NM until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 80 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$2.9–8.7k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in North Light Plant, NM costs landlords $2,947 to $8,653 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$999
29% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in North Light Plant, NM is $999 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 29% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
34.6%
of households
34.6% of occupied housing units in North Light Plant, NM 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
59.3%
2.4% unemp.
59.3% of North Light Plant, NM residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 2.4%. 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 +31.7% (2024)
4.2
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
4.2
State political climate
New Mexico legislature & governorship
3.9
Economic stress
59.3% poverty · 2.4% unemp.
7.1
Supply constraint
$999 average · 34.6% renters
6.8
Rent Control risk
29.0% of income on rent
4.8
Eviction process difficulty
80 days filing → judgment
4.0
Tenant organizing strength
34.6% renters
6.9
Housing court bias
County bench composition
7.3
Geographic context
Risk heat across North Light Plant and the region
Click any city to see its score
How North Light Plant compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in San Juan County
Low
#26of 37 cities
#26 of 37 cities in San Juan County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in New Mexico
Elevated
#204of 518 cities
#204 of 518 cities in New Mexico for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
3.5
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 3.5/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+1.4 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
80d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $999/mo. A contested eviction takes 80 days and costs $2,947–$8,653 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
34.6%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 579 residents, 34.6% rent. 29% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 59.3% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
4.2
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 4.2 and 4.2 (GOP margin +31.7% (2024)). State climate at 3.9, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
3.9
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 3.9/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 4, housing court bias 7.3, rent-control risk 4.8. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-1.0 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
7.1
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 7.1. Supply constraint: 6.8. The numbers behind those: 59.3% poverty, 2.4% unemployment, 29% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
North Light Plant sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
North Light Plant · 80d · ~$5.8k all-in ($73/day) · score 3.5National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in North Light Plant, New Mexico, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 3.5/10 (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.
North Light Plant is a city of 579 residents where 34.6% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 29.0% of income on rent. At an average rent of $999/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 North Light Plant eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 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 North Light Plant closes 80 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 North Light Plant's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 7.3/10 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 North Light Plant runs $2,947 to $8,653 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 80 days of typical timeline and $999/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 6.9/10 in North Light Plant, and the city has limited rent control exposure (4.8/10). 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 Mexico, 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 North Light Plant: 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 New Mexico's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $8,653 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in North Light Plant
Trap · 28.3 POINTS
San Juan County voted Republican by 28.3 points in 2020, a baseline that correlates with landlord-neutral statutory bias under NMSA 47-8 UORRA.
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, 1,016 eviction cases were filed across the tracker's coverage area, 0.91× the historical baseline (below baseline). Past 12 months: 12,651 filings. Pandemic-era cumulative: 74,831.
1,016Past month
12,651Past 12 months
0.91×vs baseline (past mo)
21.2%Repeat-tenant filings
Notice requirement: at least three days notice (in some cases more). Filing fee: minimum filing fee of $77 (depending on the court level).
Last 36 months of filings2023-05-01 – 2026-04-01
Filings climbed 5% over the past 12 months.
Source: Eviction Lab Tracking System, Princeton University. Open Data Commons Attribution license.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my tenant just disappears?
If your tenant abandons the property in North Light Plant, you need to follow specific steps outlined in NMSA § 47-8-34.1. You generally must post a notice of abandonment on the premises and mail a copy to the tenant's last known address. If they don't respond within a certain timeframe (usually 7 days after the notice is posted and mailed), you can then legally take possession. Document everything with photos and witnesses.
Q2
Can I charge late fees in North Light Plant?
Yes, New Mexico law allows for reasonable late fees, but they must be clearly stated in your lease agreement. While the statute doesn't specify a cap, courts generally consider fees around 5-10% of the monthly rent to be reasonable. Don't try to charge exorbitant late fees; it could be seen as predatory and unenforceable.
Q3
Do I need a lawyer for every eviction in North Light Plant?
While you are legally allowed to represent yourself in magistrate court, it's highly recommended to at least consult with an attorney, especially given North Light Plant's elevated eviction risk and housing-court bias. An attorney understands the nuances of NMSA § 47-8 and can prevent costly mistakes. Think of it as an investment to protect your property and income.
Q4
What are my responsibilities for repairs?
Under New Mexico law, you, as the landlord, are generally responsible for maintaining the premises in a fit and habitable condition, including making necessary repairs to keep the property safe and healthy. This includes plumbing, heating, and electrical systems. Tenants must notify you of issues, and you typically have a reasonable time to address them. Failing to do so can give the tenant grounds to withhold rent or even terminate the lease, though they must follow specific legal procedures.
Q5
Is there any statewide tenant protection I should know about?
Yes, New Mexico has several tenant protections under the Uniform Owner-Resident Relations Act. Besides the security deposit rules and notice requirements, landlords cannot retaliate against tenants for exercising their legal rights (e.g., complaining about conditions). Also, you cannot include certain prohibited clauses in your lease, such as waivers of tenant rights. Stay informed about New Mexico tenant protections to avoid legal pitfalls.
A 3.5/10 places North Light Plant in the 65th percentile of New Mexico 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 North Light Plant (3.5/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
