In court-decided eviction outcomes for Coats, NC, tenants prevail in roughly 17.3% 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
45d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Coats, NC until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 45 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.5–4.1k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Coats, NC costs landlords $1,508 to $4,135 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$909
35% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Coats, NC is $909 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
51.6%
of households
51.6% of occupied housing units in Coats, NC 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
24.1%
6.2% unemp.
24.1% of Coats, NC residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 6.2%. 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 +25.1% (2024)
4.5
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
4.5
State political climate
North Carolina legislature & governorship
2.3
Economic stress
24.1% poverty · 6.2% unemp.
8.0
Supply constraint
$909 average · 51.6% renters
6.9
Rent Control risk
34.5% of income on rent
7.3
Eviction process difficulty
45 days filing → judgment
1.9
Tenant organizing strength
51.6% renters
9.2
Housing court bias
County bench composition
7.9
Geographic context
Risk heat across Coats and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Coats compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Harnett County
Very High
#2of 11 cities
#2 of 11 cities in Harnett County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in North Carolina
High
#160of 774 cities
#160 of 774 cities in North Carolina for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.8
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 2.8/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+0.4 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
45d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $909/mo. A contested eviction takes 45 days and costs $1,508–$4,135 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
51.6%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 1,664 residents, 51.6% rent. 35% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 24.1% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
4.5
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 4.5 and 4.5 (GOP margin +25.1% (2024)). State climate at 2.3, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
2.3
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 2.3/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 1.9, housing court bias 7.9, rent-control risk 7.3. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.1 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
8
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the real risk.
Economic stress: 8. Supply constraint: 6.9. The numbers behind those: 24.1% poverty, 6.2% 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
Coats sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Coats · 45d · ~$2.8k all-in ($63/day) · score 2.8National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Coats, North Carolina, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.8/10 (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.
Coats is a city of 1,664 residents where 51.6% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 34.5% of income on rent. At an average rent of $909/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 Coats eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 1.9/10, 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 Coats closes 45 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 Coats's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 7.9/10 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 Coats runs $1,508 to $4,135 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 45 days of typical timeline and $909/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 9.2/10 in Coats, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (7.3/10). 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 North Carolina, 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 Coats: 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 North Carolina's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $4,135 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Coats
Trap · PRACTICAL TRAP
Compare Coats to neighboring cities in Harnett County via the grid below. The 5.9/10 score is computed from nine sub-factors plus a state-law multiplier under NCGS 42-26. Harnett County 2020 presidential margin: R+22.5. Cross-reference the state overview link in the guides section for North Carolina statutory detail.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant for being a few days late on rent in Coats?
No, not immediately. North Carolina law requires you to provide a 10-day pay-or-quit notice for non-payment of rent. This means the tenant has 10 days to pay the overdue rent in full or move out before you can file for eviction in court. You can't start the court process until that notice period has expired without compliance.
Q2
What's the fastest way to get a problem tenant out in Coats?
The fastest way is often through a mutual agreement like "cash for keys." If the tenant is willing to leave voluntarily in exchange for some money (e.g., to cover moving costs), it can save you weeks or months of eviction proceedings and legal fees. If that's not an option, promptly serving the correct legal notices and immediately filing in court once the notice period expires is the next fastest route, but expect around 45 days.
Q3
Do I need an attorney for an eviction in Coats?
While you can represent yourself in North Carolina small claims court for summary ejectment, it's highly recommended to consult or hire an attorney, especially given Coats' elevated housing-court-bias score of 7.9. An attorney ensures all legal procedures are followed correctly, increasing your chances of a successful and timely eviction and preventing costly mistakes.
Q4
How much notice do I need to give to end a month-to-month lease in Coats?
For a month-to-month tenancy without cause, North Carolina law (N.C.G.S. § 42-14) generally requires a 7-day notice to terminate. Always double-check your specific lease agreement, as some leases may specify a longer notice period, but 7 days is the statutory minimum. Ensure the notice is properly served.
Q5
Are there any tenant protections I should be aware of in North Carolina that could affect Coats?
North Carolina does not have statewide rent control or statewide source-of-income protection, which simplifies things for landlords compared to some other states. However, always be aware of fair housing laws, which prohibit discrimination based on protected classes. For more information, see our North Carolina tenant protections guide and our North Carolina rent control rules.
A 2.8/10 places Coats in the 81st percentile of North Carolina 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 Coats (2.8/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
