In court-decided eviction outcomes for La Follette, TN, tenants prevail in roughly 13.3% 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
37d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in La Follette, TN until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 37 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.3–3.3k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in La Follette, TN costs landlords $1,252 to $3,261 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$696
27% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in La Follette, TN is $696 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 27% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
59.9%
of households
59.9% of occupied housing units in La Follette, TN 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
30.7%
7.3% unemp.
30.7% of La Follette, TN residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 7.3%. 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 +69.6% (2024)
2.5
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
2.5
State political climate
Tennessee legislature & governorship
1.9
Economic stress
30.7% poverty · 7.3% unemp.
8.6
Supply constraint
$696 average · 59.9% renters
6.0
Rent Control risk
27.1% of income on rent
4.3
Eviction process difficulty
37 days filing → judgment
1.3
Tenant organizing strength
59.9% renters
9.6
Housing court bias
County bench composition
6.7
Geographic context
Risk heat across La Follette and the region
Click any city to see its score
How La Follette compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Campbell County
Moderate
#3of 5 cities
#3 of 5 cities in Campbell County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Tennessee
Elevated
#153of 501 cities
#153 of 501 cities in Tennessee for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.4
/ 10 · VERY LOW
The verdict
A Very low-tier market.
Composite 2.4/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend-0.9 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
37d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $696/mo. A contested eviction takes 37 days and costs $1,252–$3,261 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
59.9%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 7,273 residents, 59.9% rent. 27% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 30.7% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
2.5
Local + regional
The politics
Light-statute interior market.
Local & regional political climate score 2.5 and 2.5 (GOP margin +69.6% (2024)). State climate at 1.9, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
1.9
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 1.9/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 1.3, housing court bias 6.7, rent-control risk 4.3. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.7 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
8.6
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the real risk.
Economic stress: 8.6. Supply constraint: 6. The numbers behind those: 30.7% poverty, 7.3% unemployment, 27% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
La Follette sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
La Follette · 37d · ~$2.3k all-in ($61/day) · score 2.4National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in La Follette, Tennessee, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.4/10 (VERY 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.
La Follette is a city of 7,273 residents where 59.9% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 27.1% of income on rent. At an average rent of $696/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 La Follette eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 1.3/10, 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 La Follette closes 37 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 La Follette's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 6.7/10 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 La Follette runs $1,252 to $3,261 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 37 days of typical timeline and $696/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 9.6/10 in La Follette, and the city has limited rent control exposure (4.3/10). 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 Tennessee, 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 La Follette: 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 VERY 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 Tennessee's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $3,261 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in La Follette
Trap · 4.3/10
The 4.4/10 score weighs nine sub-factors including political climate, court bias, supply constraint, and tenant organizing strength. La Follette's rent-control-risk sub-score is 4.3/10, driven by state preemption and market dynamics.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant for having unauthorized pets in La Follette?
Yes, if your lease agreement prohibits pets or specifies certain types/numbers of pets, and the tenant violates that clause, it's a lease violation. You would typically issue a notice to cure the breach (remove the pet) or quit the premises, usually a 14-day notice, similar to non-payment. If they don't comply, you can proceed with an eviction filing.
Q2
How long does it typically take to get a court date in Campbell County?
After you file an Unlawful Detainer action, it usually takes 1-3 weeks to get your initial court hearing in Campbell County General Sessions Court. This timeframe can fluctuate depending on the court's current caseload, but it's generally a relatively quick process compared to some larger jurisdictions.
Q3
Is there any rent control in La Follette, TN?
No. Tennessee has a statewide prohibition on rent control. This means cities and counties, including La Follette and Campbell County, cannot enact their own rent control ordinances. You are free to raise rents according to market conditions and your lease terms, provided you give proper notice.
Q4
What if the tenant abandons the property? Can I just change the locks?
No, not immediately. In Tennessee, you must follow specific procedures to determine if a property is truly abandoned. This usually involves sending a written notice to the tenant's last known address and waiting a specified period (often 10-15 days, depending on the lease and state law). If they don't respond, and you have clear evidence of abandonment (e.g., utilities disconnected, personal property removed), then you can repossess. Changing locks prematurely could lead to legal trouble.
Q5
Can I deduct cleaning fees from the security deposit if the tenant leaves the unit dirty?
Yes, you can deduct reasonable cleaning fees from the security deposit if the unit is left in a condition beyond normal wear and tear and dirtiness. It's crucial to have clear documentation (move-in/move-out checklists, photos/videos) to justify these deductions. Provide an itemized list of deductions to the tenant within the 30-day deadline.
A 2.4/10 places La Follette in the 74th percentile of Tennessee 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 La Follette (2.4/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
