In court-decided eviction outcomes for Medina, OH, tenants prevail in roughly 22.1% 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
46d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Medina, OH until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 46 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 Medina, OH costs landlords $1,495 to $4,140 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,077
30% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Medina, OH is $1,077 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 30% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
32.7%
of households
32.7% of occupied housing units in Medina, 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
8.7%
5.6% unemp.
8.7% of Medina, OH residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 5.6%. 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 +24.8% (2024)
4.4
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
4.4
State political climate
Ohio legislature & governorship
2.4
Economic stress
8.7% poverty · 5.6% unemp.
5.9
Supply constraint
$1,077 average · 32.7% renters
6.4
Rent Control risk
29.8% of income on rent
6.4
Eviction process difficulty
46 days filing → judgment
2.0
Tenant organizing strength
32.7% renters
6.8
Housing court bias
County bench composition
5.6
Geographic context
Risk heat across Medina and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Medina compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Medina County
Very High
#2of 11 cities
#2 of 11 cities in Medina County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Ohio
Elevated
#555of 1,251 cities
#555 of 1,251 cities in Ohio for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
3.8
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 3.8/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+1.8 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
46d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,077/mo. A contested eviction takes 46 days and costs $1,495-$4,140 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
32.7%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 25,950 residents, 32.7% rent. 30% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 8.7% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
4.4
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 4.4 and 4.4 (GOP margin +24.8% (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, housing court bias 5.6, rent-control risk 6.4. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.0 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
5.9
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 5.9. Supply constraint: 6.4. The numbers behind those: 8.7% poverty, 5.6% unemployment, 30% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Medina sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Medina · 46d · ~$2.8k all-in ($61/day) · score 3.8National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0-4 4-7 7-10
Landlording in Medina, Ohio, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 3.8/10 (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.
Medina is a city of 25,950 residents where 32.7% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 29.8% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,077/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 Medina eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 2/10, 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 Medina closes 46 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 Medina's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 5.6/10 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 Medina runs $1,495 to $4,140 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 46 days of typical timeline and $1,077/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 6.8/10 in Medina, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (6.4/10). 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 Medina: 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 $4,140 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Medina
Trap · 6.4/10
Comparative benchmarking matters in markets like this. Medina's 4.5/10 is below the Ohio state average. Rent-control-risk sub-score: 6.4/10. See the nearby cities grid below for direct A-vs-B comparison.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What's the absolute fastest I can get a tenant out for not paying rent in Medina?
The fastest possible scenario involves the 3-day notice, immediate court filing, a quick court date, and the tenant moving out right after judgment. Even then, you're looking at least 3-4 weeks before they are actually out, but our data shows the typical timeline is 46 days. Don't expect miracles; follow the process.
Q2
Can I just change the locks if my tenant stops paying?
No, absolutely not. Changing the locks, shutting off utilities, or removing a tenant's belongings without a court order and sheriff supervision is considered a "self-help eviction" and is illegal in Ohio. You can face significant fines and damages if you do this. Always follow the proper legal eviction process.
Q3
Do I need an attorney for an eviction in Medina?
While you can represent yourself in most eviction cases in Ohio, it's highly recommended to consult or hire an attorney, especially if the tenant contests the eviction or you're unsure about the process. An attorney ensures proper procedure and can save you time and money in the long run, given the typical costs and timeline.
Q4
What if the tenant damages the property? Can I use the security deposit?
Yes, you can use the security deposit for damages beyond normal wear and tear, as well as for unpaid rent. However, you must provide an itemized list of deductions to the tenant within 30 days of them moving out. Keep detailed records and photos of the damages.
Q5
Are there any tenant protections I should be aware of in Medina?
Ohio has state-level tenant protections under ORC § 5321. These include a landlord's duty to maintain the property in a safe and habitable condition. While Medina doesn't have local just-cause or source-of-income protections, you should still be familiar with general Ohio tenant protections to avoid unintentional violations.
Q6
How often can I raise the rent in Medina?
Ohio has no rent control, so you can raise the rent as often as you like, provided you give proper notice as specified in your lease or by state law (typically 30 days for month-to-month tenancies). Always check your specific lease agreement for any clauses regarding rent increases.
A 3.8/10 places Medina in the 58th 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.
Neighborhoods in Medina (1 with eviction-risk data)
Click a neighborhood to see its pop-weighted score, constituent census tracts, and demographics. Sorted by population.
