In court-decided eviction outcomes for Bellwood, VA, tenants prevail in roughly 23.9% 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
52d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Bellwood, VA until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 52 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$1.9-6.3k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Bellwood, VA costs landlords $1,934 to $6,287 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,059
41% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Bellwood, VA is $1,059 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 41% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
56.1%
of households
56.1% of occupied housing units in Bellwood, VA 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
17.9%
7.3% unemp.
17.9% of Bellwood, VA 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
Dem margin +9.0% (2024)
8.6
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
8.6
State political climate
Virginia legislature & governorship
3.2
Economic stress
17.9% poverty · 7.3% unemp.
7.8
Supply constraint
$1,059 average · 56.1% renters
8.2
Rent Control risk
40.9% of income on rent
9.1
Eviction process difficulty
52 days filing → judgment
2.7
Tenant organizing strength
56.1% renters
9.4
Housing court bias
County bench composition
8.3
Geographic context
Risk heat across Bellwood and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Bellwood compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Chesterfield County
Very High
#1of 13 cities
#1 of 13 cities in Chesterfield County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Virginia
Very High
#12of 683 cities
#12 of 683 cities in Virginia for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
6
/ 10 · ELEVATED
The verdict
A Elevated-tier market.
Composite 6/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+3.8 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
52d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,059/mo. A contested eviction takes 52 days and costs $1,934-$6,287 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
56.1%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 7,907 residents, 56.1% rent. 41% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 17.9% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
8.6
Local + regional
The politics
Strong-tenant coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 8.6 and 8.6 (Dem margin +9.0% (2024)). State climate at 3.2, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
3.2
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 3.2/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 2.7, housing court bias 8.3, rent-control risk 9.1. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-2.3 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
7.8
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 7.8. Supply constraint: 8.2. The numbers behind those: 17.9% poverty, 7.3% unemployment, 41% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Bellwood sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Bellwood · 52d · ~$4.1k all-in ($79/day) · score 6National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0-4 4-7 7-10
Landlording in Bellwood, Virginia, presents an elevated-friction market where documented notices and proactive screening matter. The Eviction Risk Score is 6/10 (ELEVATED 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 Elevated-friction market where lease drafting, screening discipline, and well-documented notices materially change outcomes.
Bellwood is a city of 7,907 residents where 56.1% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 40.9% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,059/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 Bellwood eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 2.7/10, 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 Bellwood closes 52 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 Bellwood's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 8.3/10 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 Bellwood runs $1,934 to $6,287 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 52 days of typical timeline and $1,059/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 9.4/10 in Bellwood, and the city sits at the top of the rent control risk spectrum (9.1/10). 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 Virginia, 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 Bellwood: 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 ELEVATED 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 Virginia's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $6,287 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Bellwood
Trap · 17.9%
Local poverty rate is 17.9%, and the rent-burden distribution skews the eviction-filings curve toward higher volume in Richmond city County. Rent-control-risk sub-score: 9.1/10. Tenant organizing is most active in the majority-renter neighborhoods.
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, 10,534 eviction cases were filed across the tracker's coverage area, 1.07× the historical baseline (near baseline). Past 12 months: 139,873 filings. Pandemic-era cumulative: 643,855.
10,534Past month
139,873Past 12 months
1.07×vs baseline (past mo)
Notice requirement: at least five days notice (in some cases more). Filing fee: minimum filing fee of $36.
Last 36 months of filings2023-05-01 - 2026-04-01
Filings dropped 12% over the past 12 months.
Source: Eviction Lab Tracking System, Princeton University. Open Data Commons Attribution license.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant in Bellwood for minor lease violations?
Yes, under Virginia law, you can evict for lease violations, but the process and notice period will depend on the specific violation. For non-monetary breaches, you'll typically need to give a notice to remedy the breach or quit. If the tenant doesn't fix the issue, then you can proceed with an eviction filing. Always ensure your lease clearly defines what constitutes a violation.
Q2
Is there rent control in Bellwood, VA?
No, there is no statewide rent control in Virginia, and Bellwood does not have local rent control ordinances. Our data shows a rent-control-risk sub-score of 9.1/10, which indicates a high potential for future rent control legislation at the state level. While not active now, it's something to monitor, especially as tenant organizing strength is high (9.4/10). Keep an eye on Virginia rent control rules for updates.
Q3
How quickly can I get a tenant out if they stop paying rent?
The fastest you can typically get a tenant out in Bellwood for non-payment, assuming no delays and a cooperative court, is around 52 days from the date you serve the 5-day pay-or-quit notice to the sheriff lockout. This timeline can easily extend if there are procedural errors, tenant defenses, or court backlogs. Acting quickly and correctly on day one of non-payment is key.
Q4
What if my tenant claims they can't pay due to financial hardship?
While you might sympathize, financial hardship is generally not a legal defense against eviction for non-payment of rent in Virginia. Your obligation is to follow the legal process. You can, however, choose to work with the tenant, perhaps offering a payment plan or the "cash for keys" option, if it makes business sense and gets your unit back faster without costly litigation. Always get any agreements in writing.
Q5
Do I need a lawyer for an eviction in Bellwood?
You are not legally required to have a lawyer for an eviction in Virginia General District Court, but it is highly recommended, especially given the eviction-process-difficulty sub-score of 2.7 (meaning it's not simple) and the high housing-court-bias (8.3/10) against landlords. An attorney can ensure all notices are correct, filings are timely, and you present the strongest case, often saving you time and money in the long run by avoiding costly mistakes. For more on tenant protections, see our Virginia tenant protections guide.
A 6/10 places Bellwood in the 99th percentile of Virginia 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.
Neighborhoods in Bellwood (2 with eviction-risk data)
Click a neighborhood to see its pop-weighted score, constituent census tracts, and demographics. Sorted by population.
