In court-decided eviction outcomes for Glassport, PA, tenants prevail in roughly 30.8% 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
71d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Glassport, PA until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 71 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$3.4–6.8k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Glassport, PA costs landlords $3,412 to $6,823 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$849
28% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Glassport, PA is $849 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 28% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
36.4%
of households
36.4% of occupied housing units in Glassport, PA 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
12.6%
12.9% unemp.
12.6% of Glassport, PA residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 12.9%. 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
Dem margin +20.3% (2024)
6.4
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
6.4
State political climate
Pennsylvania legislature & governorship
3.4
Economic stress
12.6% poverty · 12.9% unemp.
7.7
Supply constraint
$849 average · 36.4% renters
5.9
Rent Control risk
27.6% of income on rent
4.8
Eviction process difficulty
71 days filing → judgment
2.8
Tenant organizing strength
36.4% renters
7.5
Housing court bias
County bench composition
5.4
Geographic context
Risk heat across Glassport and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Glassport compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Allegheny County
High
#19of 113 cities
#19 of 113 cities in Allegheny County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Pennsylvania
High
#275of 1,952 cities
#275 of 1,952 cities in Pennsylvania for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
4.2
/ 10 · MODERATE
The verdict
A Moderate-tier market.
Composite 4.2/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+1.4 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
71d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $849/mo. A contested eviction takes 71 days and costs $3,412–$6,823 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
36.4%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 4,368 residents, 36.4% rent. 28% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 12.6% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
6.4
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 6.4 and 6.4 (Dem margin +20.3% (2024)). State climate at 3.4, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
3.4
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 3.4/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 2.8, housing court bias 5.4, rent-control risk 4.8. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-2.2 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
7.7
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 7.7. Supply constraint: 5.9. The numbers behind those: 12.6% poverty, 12.9% unemployment, 28% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Glassport sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Glassport · 71d · ~$5.1k all-in ($72/day) · score 4.2National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Glassport, Pennsylvania, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 4.2/10 (MODERATE 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.
Glassport is a city of 4,368 residents where 36.4% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 27.6% of income on rent. At an average rent of $849/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 Glassport eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 2.8/10, 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 Glassport closes 71 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 Glassport'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 Glassport runs $3,412 to $6,823 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 71 days of typical timeline and $849/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 7.5/10 in Glassport, and the city has limited rent control exposure (4.8/10). 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 Pennsylvania, 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 Glassport: 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 MODERATE 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 Pennsylvania's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $6,823 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Glassport
Trap · 4.8/10
The 5.9/10 score weighs nine sub-factors including political climate, court bias, supply constraint, and tenant organizing strength. Glassport's rent-control-risk sub-score is 4.8/10, driven by state preemption and market dynamics.
04Eviction filings
Live filings tracking · Eviction Lab
Princeton Eviction Lab Tracking System, county-level. Last update 2026-05-01.
In the most recent month, 912 eviction cases were filed across the tracker's coverage area, 0.84× the historical baseline (below baseline). Past 12 months: 13,249 filings. Pandemic-era cumulative: 64,288.
912Past month
13,249Past 12 months
0.84×vs baseline (past mo)
Notice requirement: at least ten days notice (in some cases more). Filing fee: minimum filing fee of $82 (depending on the claim amount).
Last 36 months of filings2023-05-01 – 2026-04-01
Filings dropped 20% over the past 12 months.
Source: Eviction Lab Tracking System, Princeton University. Open Data Commons Attribution license.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my tenant pays part of the rent after I issue the 10-day notice?
Accepting partial rent after issuing a notice can sometimes "waive" your right to proceed with the eviction based on that specific notice. If you accept a partial payment, it's often best to issue a *new* 10-day notice for the remaining balance. Consult an attorney before accepting partial payments if you intend to proceed with eviction.
Q2
Can I turn off utilities if my Glassport tenant isn't paying rent?
Absolutely not. This is illegal in Pennsylvania and can lead to severe penalties, including fines and damages owed to the tenant. You must follow the legal eviction process.
Q3
How long does a tenant have to appeal an eviction judgment in Glassport?
In Pennsylvania, a tenant generally has 10 days from the date of the Magisterial District Court judgment to file an appeal to the Court of Common Pleas. This can significantly extend the eviction timeline and increase your costs.
Q4
Is there rent control in Glassport, PA?
No, there is no rent control in Glassport or anywhere else in Pennsylvania. State law (68 P.S. § 250.505-A) preempts local governments from enacting rent control measures. You can find more information on Pennsylvania rent control rules.
Q5
What if the tenant leaves personal belongings after the eviction?
Pennsylvania law requires you to notify the tenant about their abandoned property and store it for a certain period (usually 10 days after notice, but check local rules). If they don't retrieve it, you can then dispose of it. Document everything.
Q6
Can I evict a tenant for having too many people living in the unit?
Yes, if your lease agreement clearly states occupancy limits that are reasonable and comply with fair housing laws. You would issue a 15-day notice for a lease violation. Be sure your occupancy limits are legally defensible and not discriminatory.
A 4.2/10 places Glassport in the 88th percentile of Pennsylvania 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 Glassport (4.2/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
