In court-decided eviction outcomes for Ballard, UT, tenants prevail in roughly 18.6% 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
23d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Ballard, UT until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 23 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$0.8–3.1k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Ballard, UT costs landlords $832 to $3,124 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,118
18% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Ballard, UT is $1,118 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 18% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
14.7%
of households
14.7% of occupied housing units in Ballard, UT 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
13.6%
9.7% unemp.
13.6% of Ballard, UT residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 9.7%. 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 +73.6% (2024)
2.1
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
2.1
State political climate
Utah legislature & governorship
1.9
Economic stress
13.6% poverty · 9.7% unemp.
7.6
Supply constraint
$1,118 average · 14.7% renters
5.4
Rent Control risk
18.2% of income on rent
7.0
Eviction process difficulty
23 days filing → judgment
1.5
Tenant organizing strength
14.7% renters
3.4
Housing court bias
County bench composition
6.7
Geographic context
Risk heat across Ballard and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Ballard compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Uintah County
High
#2of 9 cities
#2 of 9 cities in Uintah County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Utah
High
#51of 333 cities
#51 of 333 cities in Utah for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.3
/ 10 · VERY LOW
The verdict
A Very low-tier market.
Composite 2.3/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+0.6 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
23d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,118/mo. A contested eviction takes 23 days and costs $832–$3,124 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
14.7%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 1,803 residents, 14.7% rent. 18% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 13.6% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
2.1
Local + regional
The politics
Light-statute interior market.
Local & regional political climate score 2.1 and 2.1 (GOP margin +73.6% (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 1.5, housing court bias 6.7, rent-control risk 7. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.5 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
7.6
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 7.6. Supply constraint: 5.4. The numbers behind those: 13.6% poverty, 9.7% unemployment, 18% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Ballard sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Ballard · 23d · ~$2.0k all-in ($86/day) · score 2.3National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Ballard, Utah, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.3/10 (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.
Ballard is a city of 1,803 residents where 14.7% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 18.2% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,118/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 Ballard eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 1.5/10, 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 Ballard closes 23 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 Ballard'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 Ballard runs $832 to $3,124 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 23 days of typical timeline and $1,118/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 3.4/10 in Ballard, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (7/10). 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 Utah, 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 Ballard: 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 Utah's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $3,124 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Ballard
Trap · 75.8 POINTS
Politically, Uintah County voted Republican by 75.8 points in 2020, a baseline that correlates with landlord-neutral legislative pressure. Combined with 18.2% rent-to-income ratio, expect baseline enforcement of Utah Code 78B-6.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant in Ballard for any reason?
Utah does not have statewide "just-cause" eviction requirements. This means if a lease term has expired or it's a month-to-month tenancy, you can typically terminate the tenancy with proper notice (e.g., 15-day notice) without needing a specific "reason," provided it's not discriminatory or retaliatory. For lease violations or non-payment, you must follow the specific notice periods.
Q2
What's the most common mistake landlords make during eviction in Ballard?
The most common mistake is improper notice or attempting "self-help" eviction. Giving the wrong notice, serving it incorrectly, or trying to lock out a tenant or turn off utilities without a court order will get your case thrown out and potentially open you up to lawsuits. Always follow the specific rules outlined in Utah law.
Q3
Is there rent control in Ballard, UT?
No, there is no rent control in Ballard, UT, or anywhere else in Utah. State law (Utah Code § 57-16-1) explicitly prohibits local governments from enacting rent control ordinances. This means you are generally free to set and adjust rent prices according to market conditions, following proper notice requirements for increases. For more, see our Utah rent control rules guide.
Q4
How long do I have to return a security deposit in Ballard?
You must return the security deposit, or provide an itemized statement of deductions, within 30 days after the tenant vacates the property. Failing to meet this deadline can result in you owing the tenant double the amount wrongfully withheld, plus court costs and attorney fees.
Q5
Do I need an attorney for an eviction in Ballard?
While you are not legally required to have an attorney for an eviction in Utah, it is highly recommended, especially if the tenant contests the eviction or if you are unfamiliar with the process. An attorney can ensure all legal requirements are met, minimizing delays and costly errors. Given the low eviction-process-difficulty score, a good attorney can make it even smoother.
Q6
Are there any specific tenant protections I should know about in Utah?
Utah has standard tenant protections regarding landlord entry, property maintenance, and fair housing. While there's no statewide source-of-income protection, you must still comply with federal fair housing laws. Always treat all tenants and applicants equally. For a broader view, check out our Utah tenant protections page.
A 2.3/10 places Ballard in the 85th percentile of Utah 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 Ballard (2.3/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
