Estimated values: The U.S. Census suppresses field-level data for small places. Estimated from constituent census tracts, pop-weighted from real underlying ACS data.
Tenant beats landlord
39.4%
/ 100 outcomes
In court-decided eviction outcomes for Hope Valley, RI, tenants prevail in roughly 39.4% 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
119d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Hope Valley, RI until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 119 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$6.0–13.4k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Hope Valley, RI costs landlords $6,009 to $13,370 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$813
71% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Hope Valley, RI is $813 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 71% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
8.2%
of households
8.2% of occupied housing units in Hope Valley, RI 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
6.1%
6.9% unemp.
6.1% of Hope Valley, RI residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 6.9%. 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 +15.0% (2024)
6.4
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
6.4
State political climate
Rhode Island legislature & governorship
5.5
Economic stress
6.1% poverty · 6.9% unemp.
5.7
Supply constraint
$813 average · 8.2% renters
6.2
Rent Control risk
70.9% of income on rent
9.3
Eviction process difficulty
119 days filing → judgment
5.1
Tenant organizing strength
8.2% renters
4.4
Housing court bias
County bench composition
6.5
Geographic context
Risk heat across Hope Valley and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Hope Valley compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Washington County
Elevated
#5of 15 cities
#5 of 15 cities in Washington County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Rhode Island
Elevated
#13of 36 cities
#13 of 36 cities in Rhode Island for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
5.4
/ 10 · MODERATE
The verdict
A Moderate-tier market.
Composite 5.4/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+2.5 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
119d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $813/mo. A contested eviction takes 119 days and costs $6,009–$13,370 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
8.2%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 2,297 residents, 8.2% rent. 71% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 6.1% 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 +15.0% (2024)). State climate at 5.5, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
5.5
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 5.5/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 5.1, housing court bias 6.5, rent-control risk 9.3. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +0.1 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
5.7
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 5.7. Supply constraint: 6.2. The numbers behind those: 6.1% poverty, 6.9% unemployment, 71% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Hope Valley sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Hope Valley · 119d · ~$9.7k all-in ($81/day) · score 5.4National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Hope Valley, Rhode Island, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 5.4/10 (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.
Hope Valley is a city of 2,297 residents where 8.2% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 70.9% of income on rent. At an average rent of $813/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 Hope Valley eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 5.1/10, 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 Hope Valley closes 119 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 Hope Valley's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 6.5/10 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 Hope Valley runs $6,009 to $13,370 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 119 days of typical timeline and $813/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 4.4/10 in Hope Valley, and the city sits at the top of the rent control risk spectrum (9.3/10). 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 Rhode Island, 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 Hope Valley: 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 Rhode Island's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $13,370 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Hope Valley
Trap · RHODE ISLAND
For state-level context, see the Rhode Island overview link in the guides section below. The score combines political climate, rent-to-income ratio, court bias, and tenant organizing strength under R.I. Gen. Laws 34-18.
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, 503 eviction cases were filed across the tracker's coverage area, 0.88× the historical baseline (below baseline). Past 12 months: 6,531 filings. Pandemic-era cumulative: 39,556.
503Past month
6,531Past 12 months
0.88×vs baseline (past mo)
20.3%Repeat-tenant filings
Notice requirement: at least five days notice (in some cases more). Filing fee: $101 filing fee on average.
Last 36 months of filings2023-05-01 – 2026-04-01
Filings stayed roughly flat over the past 12 months.
Source: Eviction Lab Tracking System, Princeton University. Open Data Commons Attribution license.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What's the fastest way to get a tenant out who won't pay?
The fastest legal way is often "cash for keys." Offer a tenant a sum of money (e.g., $500-$1,500) to move out quickly and voluntarily, leaving the property clean. This can avoid the 119-day eviction timeline and thousands in legal fees. Get a signed agreement and only hand over the cash after they've moved out and returned keys.
Q2
Can I charge whatever I want for a security deposit in Hope Valley?
No. In Rhode Island, you are capped at collecting one month's rent as a security deposit. Any amount over that is illegal. Make sure you return it within 20 days after the tenant moves out, or provide an itemized list of deductions.
Q3
Do I need an attorney to evict a tenant in Rhode Island?
While not legally required, it's highly recommended in Hope Valley, given the eviction-process-difficulty (5.1) and housing-court-bias (6.5). An attorney ensures proper notice, correct filing, and effective representation in court, potentially saving you time and money in the long run. See Rhode Island eviction costs for more.
Q4
What if my tenant claims they lost their job and can't pay?
Sympathy is fine, but your business needs to operate. Issue the 5-day pay-or-quit notice. You can offer a payment plan in writing, or direct them to local rental assistance programs. However, if they don't meet their obligations, you must proceed with the eviction process. Don't let emotions override your business decisions.
Q5
Is rent control a risk in Hope Valley?
Hope Valley has a high rent-control-risk sub-score of 9.3, indicating a significant potential for future rent control measures. While no statewide rent control currently exists, this high score means landlords should stay informed about local and state legislative changes. Consult the Rhode Island rent control rules for updates.
Q6
Can I just change the locks if a tenant stops paying?
Absolutely not. Changing locks, shutting off utilities, or removing a tenant's belongings is illegal in Rhode Island and considered a "self-help" eviction. You can face significant fines and damages. Always follow the judicial eviction process. For more on the broader context, check the Rhode Island eviction risk overview.
A 5.4/10 places Hope Valley in the 69th percentile of Rhode Island 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 Hope Valley (5.4/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
