In court-decided eviction outcomes for Keizer, OR, tenants prevail in roughly 56.9% 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
140d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Keizer, OR until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 140 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$7.2-16.5k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Keizer, OR costs landlords $7,232 to $16,493 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,424
30% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Keizer, OR is $1,424 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
37.1%
of households
37.1% of occupied housing units in Keizer, 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
8.4%
4.6% unemp.
8.4% of Keizer, OR residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 4.6%. 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 +2.0% (2024)
5.3
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
5.3
State political climate
Oregon legislature & governorship
7.2
Economic stress
8.4% poverty · 4.6% unemp.
5.5
Supply constraint
$1,424 average · 37.1% renters
7.9
Rent Control risk
30.3% of income on rent
6.2
Eviction process difficulty
140 days filing → judgment
6.6
Tenant organizing strength
37.1% renters
7.7
Housing court bias
County bench composition
5.4
Geographic context
Risk heat across Keizer and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Keizer compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Marion County
Very High
#3of 24 cities
#3 of 24 cities in Marion County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Oregon
Very High
#18of 425 cities
#18 of 425 cities in Oregon for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
7.9
/ 10 · HIGH
The verdict
A High-tier market.
Composite 7.9/10. High statutory friction with active tenant counsel, so assume defenses on every filing. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+6.2 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
140d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,424/mo. A contested eviction takes 140 days and costs $7,232-$16,493 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
37.1%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 39,082 residents, 37.1% rent. 30% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 8.4% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
5.3
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 5.3 and 5.3 (GOP margin +2.0% (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 6.6, housing court bias 5.4, rent-control risk 6.2. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +1.6 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
5.5
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 5.5. Supply constraint: 7.9. The numbers behind those: 8.4% poverty, 4.6% 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
Keizer sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Keizer · 140d · ~$11.9k all-in ($85/day) · score 7.9National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0-4 4-7 7-10
Landlording in Keizer, Oregon, presents a high-friction environment where attorney involvement on every filing is the norm. The Eviction Risk Score is 7.9/10 (HIGH 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 High-friction landlord market where lease drafting, screening discipline, and well-documented notices materially change outcomes.
Keizer is a city of 39,082 residents where 37.1% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 30.3% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,424/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 Keizer eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 6.6/10, 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 Keizer closes 140 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 Keizer's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 5.4/10 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 Keizer runs $7,232 to $16,493 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 140 days of typical timeline and $1,424/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 7.7/10 in Keizer, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (6.2/10). 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 Keizer: 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 HIGH 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 $16,493 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Keizer
Trap · 4 POINTS
Politically, Yamhill County voted Republican by 4 points in 2020, a baseline that correlates with landlord-neutral legislative pressure. Combined with 30.3% rent-to-income ratio, expect baseline enforcement of ORS 90 + SB 608.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What is "just cause" eviction in Keizer?
Just cause means you need a specific, legally valid reason to end a tenancy. Examples include non-payment of rent, lease violations, or owner move-in. You cannot evict simply because a lease term ended or you want to raise the rent significantly. Oregon has statewide just-cause requirements, making it harder for landlords to remove tenants without cause. This is a critical point for Keizer landlords, directly impacting eviction difficulty. See our Oregon tenant protections guide.
Q2
Can I raise the rent whenever I want in Keizer?
Oregon has statewide rent control. You can typically only raise the rent once every 12 months, and the increase is capped at 7% plus the annual change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI). There are specific notice requirements for rent increases. You can't just slap a new number on the door. Consult our Oregon rent control rules for the latest details.
Q3
What if my Keizer tenant damages the property?
If the damage exceeds normal wear and tear, you can deduct the cost of repairs from the security deposit. You must provide an itemized list of deductions within 31 days of the tenant moving out. If the damages exceed the security deposit, you can pursue the tenant for the remaining balance, though collecting can be difficult. Thorough documentation (photos, receipts) is essential.
Q4
Do I have to accept Section 8 tenants in Keizer?
Yes, Oregon has statewide source-of-income protection. This means you cannot refuse to rent to someone solely because they use a housing voucher, like Section 8, to pay their rent. You must still apply your standard screening criteria equally to all applicants, regardless of their income source.
Q5
What are the rules for returning security deposits in Keizer?
You have 31 days from the date the tenant vacates and returns possession to either return the full security deposit or provide a written itemized statement of deductions. Failure to comply can result in you owing the tenant double the amount wrongfully withheld. Keep meticulous records of all deductions and communicate clearly. Learn more at Oregon security deposit rules.
A 7.9/10 places Keizer in the 97th 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.
Neighborhoods in Keizer (1 with eviction-risk data)
Click a neighborhood to see its pop-weighted score, constituent census tracts, and demographics. Sorted by population.
