In court-decided eviction outcomes for Brownsville, TN, tenants prevail in roughly 19.5% 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
31d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Brownsville, TN until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 31 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.2–3.3k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Brownsville, TN costs landlords $1,193 to $3,279 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$767
32% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Brownsville, TN is $767 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 32% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
52.4%
of households
52.4% of occupied housing units in Brownsville, 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
27.5%
8.9% unemp.
27.5% of Brownsville, TN residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 8.9%. 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 +0.4% (2024)
5.9
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
5.9
State political climate
Tennessee legislature & governorship
1.9
Economic stress
27.5% poverty · 8.9% unemp.
8.7
Supply constraint
$767 average · 52.4% renters
6.2
Rent Control risk
31.7% of income on rent
6.4
Eviction process difficulty
31 days filing → judgment
1.7
Tenant organizing strength
52.4% renters
9.5
Housing court bias
County bench composition
7.6
Geographic context
Risk heat across Brownsville and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Brownsville compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Haywood County
Very High
#1of 3 cities
#1 of 3 cities in Haywood County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Tennessee
Very High
#9of 501 cities
#9 of 501 cities in Tennessee for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.8
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 2.8/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend-0.7 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
31d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $767/mo. A contested eviction takes 31 days and costs $1,193–$3,279 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
52.4%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 9,622 residents, 52.4% rent. 32% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 27.5% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
5.9
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 5.9 and 5.9 (Dem margin +0.4% (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 1.7, housing court bias 7.6, rent-control risk 6.4. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.3 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
8.7
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the real risk.
Economic stress: 8.7. Supply constraint: 6.2. The numbers behind those: 27.5% poverty, 8.9% unemployment, 32% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Brownsville sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Brownsville · 31d · ~$2.2k all-in ($72/day) · score 2.8National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Brownsville, Tennessee, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.8/10 (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.
Brownsville is a city of 9,622 residents where 52.4% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 31.7% of income on rent. At an average rent of $767/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 Brownsville eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 1.7/10, 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 Brownsville closes 31 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 Brownsville's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 7.6/10 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 Brownsville runs $1,193 to $3,279 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 31 days of typical timeline and $767/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 9.5/10 in Brownsville, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (6.4/10). 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 Brownsville: 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 Tennessee's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $3,279 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Brownsville
Trap · 6.4/10
Comparative benchmarking matters in markets like this. Brownsville's 5.5/10 is near the Tennessee state average. Rent-control-risk sub-score: 6.4/10. See the nearby cities grid below for direct A-vs-B comparison.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What's the fastest I can get a tenant out for not paying rent in Brownsville?
The absolute fastest would be after the 14-day pay-or-quit notice expires, then filing in court, and getting a quick hearing. Realistically, even if everything goes perfectly, you're looking at around 31 days total, from notice to sheriff lockout. Don't expect miracles.
Q2
Do I need a lawyer for an eviction in Brownsville?
You can file an eviction yourself in General Sessions Court. However, given Brownsville's elevated risk score, especially the tenant organizing strength, having an attorney is highly recommended. They ensure proper procedure, handle any tenant defenses, and save you time and potential missteps. It's an investment to protect your property.
Q3
Can I keep the security deposit for unpaid rent in Brownsville?
Yes, you can deduct unpaid rent and damages beyond normal wear and tear from the security deposit. You must provide an itemized list of deductions within 30 days of the tenant moving out. If you don't, you risk losing your right to keep any of it.
Q4
Is there rent control in Brownsville?
No, there is no rent control in Brownsville, TN. Tennessee state law, specifically T.C.A. § 66-28-101 et seq., preempts local rent control ordinances. You can find more information on the Tennessee rent control rules page.
Q5
What's the biggest mistake landlords make in Brownsville?
The biggest mistake is delaying action. Waiting to serve the 14-day notice, or waiting to file in court after the notice expires, adds weeks of lost rent. Another major error is attempting self-help eviction, like changing locks or turning off utilities. This is illegal and will land you in serious trouble.
A 2.8/10 places Brownsville in the 99th 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 Brownsville (2.8/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
