In court-decided eviction outcomes for Grants Pass, OR, tenants prevail in roughly 51.8% 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
128d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Grants Pass, OR until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 128 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$7.4–20.0k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Grants Pass, OR costs landlords $7,376 to $20,039 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,217
33% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Grants Pass, OR is $1,217 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 33% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
43.0%
of households
43.0% of occupied housing units in Grants Pass, OR 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
15.5%
6.1% unemp.
15.5% of Grants Pass, OR residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 6.1%. 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 +29.1% (2024)
4.3
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
4.3
State political climate
Oregon legislature & governorship
7.2
Economic stress
15.5% poverty · 6.1% unemp.
7.2
Supply constraint
$1,217 average · 43.0% renters
7.8
Rent Control risk
33.4% of income on rent
7.9
Eviction process difficulty
128 days filing → judgment
6.5
Tenant organizing strength
43.0% renters
8.6
Housing court bias
County bench composition
7.4
Geographic context
Risk heat across Grants Pass and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Grants Pass compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Josephine County
Moderate
#6of 10 cities
#6 of 10 cities in Josephine County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Oregon
Moderate
#250of 425 cities
#250 of 425 cities in Oregon for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
6.3
/ 10 · ELEVATED
The verdict
A Elevated-tier market.
Composite 6.3/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+3.7 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
128d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,217/mo. A contested eviction takes 128 days and costs $7,376–$20,039 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
43.0%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 39,311 residents, 43.0% rent. 33% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 15.5% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
4.3
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 4.3 and 4.3 (GOP margin +29.1% (2024)). State climate at 7.2, a tenant-leaning legislature.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
7.2
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 7.2/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 6.5, housing court bias 7.4, rent-control risk 7.9. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +1.5 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
7.2
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 7.2. Supply constraint: 7.8. The numbers behind those: 15.5% poverty, 6.1% unemployment, 33% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Grants Pass sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Grants Pass · 128d · ~$13.7k all-in ($107/day) · score 6.3National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Grants Pass, Oregon, presents an elevated-friction market where documented notices and proactive screening matter. The Eviction Risk Score is 6.3/10 (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.
Grants Pass is a city of 39,311 residents where 43.0% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 33.4% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,217/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 Grants Pass eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 6.5/10, 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 Grants Pass closes 128 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 Grants Pass's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 7.4/10 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 Grants Pass runs $7,376 to $20,039 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 128 days of typical timeline and $1,217/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 8.6/10 in Grants Pass, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (7.9/10). 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 Oregon, 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 Grants Pass: 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 Oregon's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $20,039 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Grants Pass
Trap · PRACTICAL TRAP
Compare Grants Pass to neighboring cities in Josephine County via the grid below. The 6/10 score is computed from nine sub-factors plus a state-law multiplier under ORS 90 + SB 608. Josephine County 2020 presidential margin: R+25.8. Cross-reference the state overview link in the guides section for Oregon statutory detail.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my tenant claims a maintenance issue as a reason for not paying rent?
Oregon law allows tenants to withhold rent in certain situations if you fail to make essential repairs after proper written notice. Respond to all repair requests promptly and in writing. Keep records of communication and repairs made. If a tenant withholds rent for a repair you believe is minor or they caused, you still need to follow the eviction process, but be prepared to defend your actions in court.
Q2
Can I evict a tenant for repeated lease violations that aren't about rent?
Yes, but it's tougher in Grants Pass due to just-cause requirements. For non-monetary lease violations, you'd typically issue a 30-day notice to cure or quit, giving them a chance to fix the violation. If they don't, you can proceed with eviction. However, if the violation isn't cured and you proceed to court, the judge will scrutinize if the violation is substantial enough to warrant eviction under Oregon's just-cause rules. This is another area where legal counsel is highly recommended.
Q3
Do I need a lawyer for every eviction in Grants Pass?
While you can represent yourself, it's generally not advisable in Oregon, especially with a 6/10 risk score. Given the complexity of ORS § 90, the just-cause requirement, and potential court bias (7.4), a minor procedural error can cost you the case and force you to start over, dramatically increasing your costs and timeline. For an uncontested non-payment eviction, you might manage, but for anything more complex, hire an attorney.
Q4
What are the rules for late fees in Grants Pass?
Oregon law caps late fees. For monthly rent, the late fee cannot exceed a "reasonable" flat fee (typically $50-$75, but check current statutes) or a daily charge of 5% of the rent, up to a maximum of 5 days. Your lease must clearly state the late fee policy. You cannot charge both a flat fee and a daily fee for the same late payment.
Q5
Can I raise the rent in Grants Pass?
Yes, but Oregon has statewide rent control. Rent increases are capped annually at 7% plus the consumer price index (CPI). You must provide a 90-day written notice for any rent increase. There are exceptions for new construction, but generally, you cannot increase rent by more than the state-mandated cap. Be sure to check the current CPI for the year you plan to increase rent.
A 6.3/10 places Grants Pass in the 43rd percentile of Oregon 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.
Cities with similar eviction risk to Grants Pass (6.3/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
