In court-decided eviction outcomes for Johnson, VT, tenants prevail in roughly 41.8% 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
94d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Johnson, VT until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 94 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$3.5–10.1k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Johnson, VT costs landlords $3,473 to $10,051 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$947
38% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Johnson, VT is $947 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 38% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
66.8%
of households
66.8% of occupied housing units in Johnson, VT 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
18.4%
13.9% unemp.
18.4% of Johnson, VT residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 13.9%. 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 +35.8% (2024)
7.3
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
7.3
State political climate
Vermont legislature & governorship
4.6
Economic stress
18.4% poverty · 13.9% unemp.
8.5
Supply constraint
$947 average · 66.8% renters
7.7
Rent Control risk
37.8% of income on rent
7.6
Eviction process difficulty
94 days filing → judgment
4.0
Tenant organizing strength
66.8% renters
9.7
Housing court bias
County bench composition
7.6
Geographic context
Risk heat across Johnson and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Johnson compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Lamoille County
Very High
#1of 7 cities
#1 of 7 cities in Lamoille County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Vermont
Very High
#4of 180 cities
#4 of 180 cities in Vermont 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+2.8 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
94d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $947/mo. A contested eviction takes 94 days and costs $3,473–$10,051 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
66.8%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 1,799 residents, 66.8% rent. 38% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 18.4% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
7.3
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 7.3 and 7.3 (Dem margin +35.8% (2024)). State climate at 4.6, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
4.6
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 4.6/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 4, housing court bias 7.6, rent-control risk 7.6. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-1.0 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
8.5
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the real risk.
Economic stress: 8.5. Supply constraint: 7.7. The numbers behind those: 18.4% poverty, 13.9% unemployment, 38% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Johnson sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Johnson · 94d · ~$6.8k all-in ($72/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 Johnson, Vermont, 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.
Johnson is a city of 1,799 residents where 66.8% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 37.8% of income on rent. At an average rent of $947/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 Johnson eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 4/10, 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 Johnson closes 94 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 Johnson'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 Johnson runs $3,473 to $10,051 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 94 days of typical timeline and $947/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 9.7/10 in Johnson, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (7.6/10). 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 Vermont, 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 Johnson: 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 Vermont's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $10,051 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Johnson
Trap · 7.6/10
The 5.5/10 score weighs nine sub-factors including political climate, court bias, supply constraint, and tenant organizing strength. Johnson's rent-control-risk sub-score is 7.6/10, driven by demographic and political pressure for tenant relief.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my tenant claims a maintenance issue as a reason not to pay rent?
Vermont law allows tenants to withhold rent if you fail to make essential repairs after proper notice. This is called "repair and deduct." However, they must follow specific procedures, including giving you written notice and a reasonable time to fix the issue. If they haven't, their claim might not hold up in court. Always address maintenance issues promptly and document all communications and repairs. A paper trail protects you.
Q2
Can I increase rent in Johnson, VT?
Yes, Vermont does not have statewide rent control. This means you can raise the rent, but you must provide proper notice, typically 60 days for a month-to-month tenancy. If you have a fixed-term lease, you cannot raise the rent until the lease term expires. Be mindful of the 7.6/10 rent-control-risk sub-score; while there's no statewide control, local discussions can always arise, so keep increases reasonable to avoid community backlash.
Q3
What are "source of income" protections in Vermont?
Vermont law, including in Johnson, protects tenants from discrimination based on their source of income. This means you cannot refuse to rent to someone solely because they use a Section 8 voucher, disability benefits, or other lawful forms of income to pay rent. You can still apply your standard screening criteria (credit score, rental history, criminal background), but you cannot reject them just for their income source. Understand this deeply to avoid fair housing violations.
Q4
How can I avoid an eviction in the first place?
Prevention is key. Thorough tenant screening is your absolute best defense. Beyond that, maintain open communication with your tenants, address repair requests promptly, and be clear about lease terms. If a tenant faces financial hardship, try to work with them before resorting to eviction, if possible. A payment plan or "cash for keys" can sometimes be less costly than a full eviction process. Consider our Lamoille County eviction guide for more local insights.
A 5.4/10 places Johnson in the 99th percentile of Vermont 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 Johnson (5.4/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
