In court-decided eviction outcomes for Youngstown, OH, tenants prevail in roughly 23.7% 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
40d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Youngstown, OH until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 40 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.5-4.2k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Youngstown, OH costs landlords $1,511 to $4,188 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$728
34% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Youngstown, OH is $728 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
43.8%
of households
43.8% of occupied housing units in Youngstown, 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
36.2%
11.9% unemp.
36.2% of Youngstown, OH residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 11.9%. 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
36.2% poverty · 11.9% unemp.
9.3
Supply constraint
$728 average · 43.8% renters
5.6
Rent Control risk
34.3% of income on rent
7.8
Eviction process difficulty
40 days filing → judgment
2.7
Tenant organizing strength
43.8% renters
8.6
Housing court bias
County bench composition
8.6
Geographic context
Risk heat across Youngstown and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Youngstown compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Mahoning County
Very High
#1of 18 cities
#1 of 18 cities in Mahoning County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Ohio
Very High
#23of 1,251 cities
#23 of 1,251 cities in Ohio for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
5.6
/ 10 · ELEVATED
The verdict
A Elevated-tier market.
Composite 5.6/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+3.2 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
40d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $728/mo. A contested eviction takes 40 days and costs $1,511-$4,188 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
43.8%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 59,331 residents, 43.8% rent. 34% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 36.2% 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 2.7, housing court bias 8.6, rent-control risk 7.8. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-2.3 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
9.3
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the real risk.
Economic stress: 9.3. Supply constraint: 5.6. The numbers behind those: 36.2% poverty, 11.9% 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
Youngstown sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Youngstown · 40d · ~$2.8k all-in ($71/day) · score 5.6National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0-4 4-7 7-10
Landlording in Youngstown, Ohio, presents an elevated-friction market where documented notices and proactive screening matter. The Eviction Risk Score is 5.6/10 (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.
Youngstown is a city of 59,331 residents where 43.8% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 34.3% of income on rent. At an average rent of $728/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 Youngstown eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 2.7/10, 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 Youngstown closes 40 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 Youngstown's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 8.6/10 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 Youngstown runs $1,511 to $4,188 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 40 days of typical timeline and $728/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 8.6/10 in Youngstown, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (7.8/10). 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 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 Youngstown: 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 Ohio's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $4,188 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Youngstown
Trap · 36.2%
Local poverty rate is 36.2%, and the rent-burden distribution skews the eviction-filings curve toward higher volume in Mahoning County. Rent-control-risk sub-score: 7.8/10. Tenant organizing is most active in the rental concentration corridors.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant in Youngstown for minor lease violations?
Yes, if the lease clearly states the violation and you follow the proper notice procedures. For non-monetary breaches, you generally need to give reasonable notice to cure the violation before proceeding with an eviction filing. Always refer to your lease and ORC § 5321.
Q2
How long does it take to get a court date for an eviction in Youngstown?
After you file the complaint, it typically takes 1-2 weeks for the court to schedule a hearing. This can vary based on the court's caseload in Mahoning County, so plan for potential delays.
Q3
Do I need a lawyer for an eviction in Youngstown?
While you can technically represent yourself, it's highly recommended to hire an attorney, especially given Youngstown's elevated eviction risk score. Mistakes in procedure or documentation can lead to dismissal and significant delays and costs. A lawyer ensures you navigate the process correctly.
Q4
What if the tenant abandons the property during the eviction process?
If a tenant clearly abandons the property (e.g., removes all belongings, stops paying rent, no response to communication), you can take possession. However, make sure you have clear evidence of abandonment to avoid wrongful eviction claims. It's often safer to get a court order for possession if there's any doubt.
Q5
Can I change the locks on a tenant who hasn't paid rent?
Absolutely not. This is an illegal "self-help" eviction and can result in severe penalties against you. You must follow the legal eviction process through the courts to regain possession of your property. Only a sheriff can legally remove a tenant and change locks after a court order.
A 5.6/10 places Youngstown in the 99th 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 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 Youngstown (5 with eviction-risk data)
Click a neighborhood to see its pop-weighted score, constituent census tracts, and demographics. Sorted by population.
