In court-decided eviction outcomes for Lowellville, OH, tenants prevail in roughly 22.2% 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
42d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Lowellville, OH until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 42 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.3–3.8k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Lowellville, OH costs landlords $1,286 to $3,772 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$635
34% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Lowellville, OH is $635 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 34% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
32.6%
of households
32.6% of occupied housing units in Lowellville, OH 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
19.7%
2.9% unemp.
19.7% of Lowellville, OH residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 2.9%. 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 +9.4% (2024)
5.4
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
5.4
State political climate
Ohio legislature & governorship
2.4
Economic stress
19.7% poverty · 2.9% unemp.
6.3
Supply constraint
$635 average · 32.6% renters
3.9
Rent Control risk
33.9% of income on rent
6.3
Eviction process difficulty
42 days filing → judgment
2.6
Tenant organizing strength
32.6% renters
6.3
Housing court bias
County bench composition
7.1
Geographic context
Risk heat across Lowellville and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Lowellville compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Mahoning County
Elevated
#7of 18 cities
#7 of 18 cities in Mahoning County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Ohio
High
#245of 1,251 cities
#245 of 1,251 cities in Ohio for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.7
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 2.7/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+0.3 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
42d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $635/mo. A contested eviction takes 42 days and costs $1,286–$3,772 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
32.6%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 1,088 residents, 32.6% rent. 34% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 19.7% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
5.4
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 5.4 and 5.4 (GOP margin +9.4% (2024)). State climate at 2.4, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
2.4
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 2.4/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 2.6, housing court bias 7.1, rent-control risk 6.3. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-2.4 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
6.3
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 6.3. Supply constraint: 3.9. The numbers behind those: 19.7% poverty, 2.9% unemployment, 34% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Lowellville sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Lowellville · 42d · ~$2.5k all-in ($60/day) · score 2.7National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Lowellville, Ohio, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.7/10 (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.
Lowellville is a city of 1,088 residents where 32.6% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 33.9% of income on rent. At an average rent of $635/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 Lowellville eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 2.6/10, 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 Lowellville closes 42 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 Lowellville's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 7.1/10 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 Lowellville runs $1,286 to $3,772 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 42 days of typical timeline and $635/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 6.3/10 in Lowellville, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (6.3/10). 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 Ohio, 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 Lowellville: 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 Ohio's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $3,772 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Lowellville
Trap · 7.1/10
For landlords, the 5.5/10 score is most actionable when combined with Mahoning County's specific court behavior. Housing-court bias sub-score: 7.1/10. Use proactive screening and documented notices.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant for being late on rent just once in Lowellville?
Yes, in Ohio, if a tenant fails to pay rent, you can serve a 3-day pay-or-quit notice. If they don't pay or move out within those three days, you can proceed with filing for eviction. It doesn't matter if it's their first time being late, but you must follow the proper notice procedure.
Q2
Do I need a lawyer for an eviction in Lowellville?
While you can represent yourself in Ohio's small claims or area courts, it's highly recommended to consult an attorney, especially if the tenant contests the eviction or you're unsure about the process. Errors in paperwork or procedure can lead to delays or dismissal of your case. An attorney ensures you're compliant with ORC § 5321.
Q3
What if my tenant claims I haven't made repairs? Can they withhold rent?
In Ohio, tenants generally cannot simply withhold rent. They must notify you in writing of the needed repairs, give you a reasonable time to fix them (usually 30 days or less for emergencies), and if you fail to act, they may deposit rent into an escrow account with the court or pursue other remedies. They can't just stop paying and expect to win an eviction case without proper procedure on their end.
Q4
How long do I have to return a security deposit in Lowellville?
Under Ohio law, you have 30 days from the date the tenant vacates the property to return the security deposit, less any lawful deductions for damages beyond normal wear and tear or unpaid rent. You must provide an itemized list of any deductions. Failing to do so can result in penalties.
Q5
Can I raise the rent in Lowellville? Is there rent control?
Ohio has no statewide rent control laws, and Lowellville does not have local rent control ordinances. This means you are generally free to raise the rent to market rates. However, you must provide proper notice to the tenant, typically 30 days for month-to-month leases, before the rent increase takes effect. For more, see our Ohio rent control rules.
Q6
What are common mistakes landlords make during an eviction in Lowellville?
Common mistakes include incorrect service of the 3-day notice, accepting partial rent payments after serving notice (which can invalidate it), not having a clear lease, failing to document communications, and attempting "self-help" evictions like changing locks or shutting off utilities. These self-help tactics are illegal and can lead to significant penalties for the landlord. Always follow the court process. For more on tenant rights, see our Ohio tenant protections guide.
A 2.7/10 places Lowellville in the 84th percentile of Ohio 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 Lowellville (2.7/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
