In court-decided eviction outcomes for Chestnut Hill, PA, tenants prevail in roughly 22.9% 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
64d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Chestnut Hill, PA until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 64 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$2.9–8.3k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Chestnut Hill, PA costs landlords $2,874 to $8,348 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,876
28% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Chestnut Hill, PA is $1,876 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
12.3%
of households
12.3% of occupied housing units in Chestnut Hill, 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
4.6%
6.6% unemp.
4.6% of Chestnut Hill, PA residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 6.6%. 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 +1.8% (2024)
5.5
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
5.5
State political climate
Pennsylvania legislature & governorship
3.4
Economic stress
4.6% poverty · 6.6% unemp.
5.3
Supply constraint
$1,876 average · 12.3% renters
5.8
Rent Control risk
28.3% of income on rent
5.6
Eviction process difficulty
64 days filing → judgment
2.8
Tenant organizing strength
12.3% renters
2.7
Housing court bias
County bench composition
4.3
Geographic context
Risk heat across Chestnut Hill and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Chestnut Hill compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Northampton County
Elevated
#11of 31 cities
#11 of 31 cities in Northampton County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Pennsylvania
Moderate
#979of 1,952 cities
#979 of 1,952 cities in Pennsylvania 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+1.1 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
64d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,876/mo. A contested eviction takes 64 days and costs $2,874–$8,348 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
12.3%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 7,086 residents, 12.3% rent. 28% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 4.6% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
5.5
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 5.5 and 5.5 (GOP margin +1.8% (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 4.3, rent-control risk 5.6. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-2.2 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
5.3
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 5.3. Supply constraint: 5.8. The numbers behind those: 4.6% poverty, 6.6% 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
Chestnut Hill sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Chestnut Hill · 64d · ~$5.6k all-in ($88/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 Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania, 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.
Chestnut Hill is a city of 7,086 residents where 12.3% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 28.3% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,876/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 Chestnut Hill 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 Chestnut Hill closes 64 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 Chestnut Hill's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 4.3/10 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 Chestnut Hill runs $2,874 to $8,348 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 64 days of typical timeline and $1,876/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 2.7/10 in Chestnut Hill, and the city has limited rent control exposure (5.6/10). 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 Chestnut Hill: 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 Pennsylvania's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $8,348 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Chestnut Hill
Trap · 5.6/10
The 5.4/10 score weighs nine sub-factors including political climate, court bias, supply constraint, and tenant organizing strength. Chestnut Hill's rent-control-risk sub-score is 5.6/10, driven by state preemption and market dynamics.
04Eviction filings
Live filings tracking · Eviction Lab
Princeton Eviction Lab Tracking System, state-level (no county tracker available). Last update 2026-05-01.
In the most recent month, 8,054 eviction cases were filed across the tracker's coverage area, 0.94× the historical baseline (below baseline). Past 12 months: 108,576 filings. Pandemic-era cumulative: 577,537.
8,054Past month
108,576Past 12 months
0.94×vs baseline (past mo)
Notice requirement: at least ten days notice (in some cases more). Filing fee: $162 filing fee on average.
Last 36 months of filings2023-05-01 – 2026-04-01
Filings dropped 12% over the past 12 months.
Source: Eviction Lab Tracking System, Princeton University. Open Data Commons Attribution license.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant in Chestnut Hill without a reason?
Pennsylvania does not have a statewide "just cause" eviction requirement. For month-to-month leases, or at the end of a fixed-term lease, you can generally terminate the tenancy with proper notice (15 days for no-cause termination). However, you cannot evict in retaliation or for discriminatory reasons. Always follow the proper notice periods and legal procedures.
Q2
How long does it take to get a tenant out after a judge rules in my favor?
Even after a judge grants an Order for Possession, the tenant typically has 10 days to appeal the decision. If they don't appeal or move out, you then need to file for a Writ of Possession. This writ is then served by the sheriff or constable, who will schedule the physical lockout. The entire process from judgment to lockout can easily take another 2-4 weeks. The typical total timeline is 64 days from initial notice to physical removal.
Q3
What if my tenant damages the property during an eviction?
You can deduct costs for damages beyond normal wear and tear from the security deposit. Keep detailed records and photos of the property's condition before and after the tenant moved in/out. If the damages exceed the security deposit, you can pursue the tenant in small claims court, though collecting on such judgments can be difficult. Document everything.
Q4
Are there any rent control laws in Chestnut Hill, PA?
No. Pennsylvania has a state preemption law that prohibits local municipalities, including Chestnut Hill, from enacting rent control measures. This means you generally have the ability to set rent prices according to market rates. You can learn more about this at our Pennsylvania rent control rules page.
Q5
What's the biggest mistake landlords make during an eviction?
The biggest mistake is failing to follow proper legal procedures, especially with notices. Incorrect notice periods, improper service, or using self-help methods (like changing locks) will almost guarantee your case gets dismissed, forcing you to start over and costing you more time and money. Always adhere strictly to the Landlord and Tenant Act of 1951 and court rules.
A 3.8/10 places Chestnut Hill in the 51st 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 Chestnut Hill (3.8/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
