In court-decided eviction outcomes for Bothell, WA, tenants prevail in roughly 45.9% of contested cases. A higher number means landlords face stronger tenant defenses, longer calendars, and more required documentation — landlord-friendliness drops as this rises.
Timeline
146d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Bothell, WA until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 146 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$8.0–21.2k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Bothell, WA costs landlords $8,000 to $21,247 all-in — court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$2,346
31% stretched on rent
Median gross rent in Bothell, WA is $2,346 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 31% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent — the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
34.5%
of households
34.5% of occupied housing units in Bothell, WA 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
5.8%
3.9% unemp.
5.8% of Bothell, WA residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 3.9%. 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 +51.7% (2024)
6.3
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
6.3
State political climate
Washington legislature & governorship
6.0
Economic stress
5.8% poverty · 3.9% unemp.
4.6
Supply constraint
$2,346 average · 34.5% renters
8.6
Rent Control risk
30.5% of income on rent
6.4
Eviction process difficulty
146 days filing → judgment
5.2
Tenant organizing strength
34.5% renters
7.7
Housing court bias
County bench composition
4.9
Geographic context
Risk heat across Bothell and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Bothell compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in King County
Moderate
#34of 60 cities
#34 of 60 cities in King County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Washington
Elevated
#241of 637 cities
#241 of 637 cities in Washington for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
4.9
/ 10 · MODERATE
The verdict
A Moderate-tier market.
Composite 4.9/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+3.6 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
146d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $2,346/mo. A contested eviction takes 146 days and costs $8,000–$21,247 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
34.5%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 49,610 residents, 34.5% rent. 31% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 5.8% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
6.3
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 6.3 and 6.3 (Dem margin +51.7% (2024)). State climate at 6.0 — mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
6.0
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 6.0/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies — and shows up in process. Eviction process difficulty reads 5.2, housing court bias 4.9, rent-control risk 6.4. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +0.2 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
4.6
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 4.6. Supply constraint: 8.6. The numbers behind those: 5.8% poverty, 3.9% unemployment, 31% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Bothell sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Bothell · 146d · ~$14.6k all-in ($100/day) · score 4.9National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Bothell, Washington, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 4.9/10 (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.
Bothell is a city of 49,610 residents where 34.5% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 30.5% of income on rent. At an average rent of $2,346/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 Bothell eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 5.2/10 — 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 Bothell closes 146 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 Bothell's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 4.9/10 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 Bothell runs $8,000 to $21,247 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 146 days of typical timeline and $2,346/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 7.7/10 in Bothell, 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 2.5–3x 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 Washington, deposit cap and refund window are statute — exceed 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 Bothell: 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 — 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 Washington's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $21,247 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Bothell
Trap · 34.5%
34.5% renter share against 49,610 residents produces roughly 17,115 rental occupants in Bothell. Kitsap County voted D 18.1% in 2020. Eviction filings tend to cluster in the multifamily rental corridor.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my Bothell tenant stops paying rent and then pays part of it?
If they pay part of the rent after you've issued a 14-day notice, you generally can't accept it without waiving your right to proceed with the eviction based on that notice. If you accept a partial payment, you often have to issue a new 14-day notice for the remaining balance. Consult your attorney before accepting any partial payments once an eviction process has started.
Q2
Can I evict a tenant in Bothell for repeated lease violations?
Yes, but it must be for a "just cause" as defined by Washington law. Repeated, documented lease violations that significantly impact the property or other tenants can be grounds for eviction. You'll need to issue proper notices (e.g., a 10-day notice to comply or vacate for non-curable breaches or repeated violations) and be able to prove the violations in court. Keep meticulous records of all communications and incidents.
Q3
Is rent control a risk in Bothell?
Currently, there is no rent control in Bothell or statewide in Washington. However, the state's "rent control risk" sub-score is 6.4/10, indicating a higher-than-average risk of future legislation. Stay informed about legislative changes at the state level. Our Washington rent control rules page offers more insight.
Q4
How long does it take for the sheriff to remove a tenant after I get a judgment?
Once you have an order of restitution (the court order allowing you to regain possession), the sheriff's department will typically schedule the physical lockout within a few days to a week. This timing can vary based on their workload. You cannot perform the lockout yourself; it must be done by the sheriff or a designated official.
Q5
What's the biggest mistake Bothell landlords make during eviction?
The most common and costly mistake is failing to follow the precise notice requirements and timelines mandated by RCW § 59.18. Any error in the notice content, service method, or timing can lead to the judge dismissing your case, forcing you to restart the entire process, which means more lost rent and legal fees. Always consult an attorney for an accurate Washington eviction process step-by-step guide.
A 4.9/10 places Bothell in the 67th percentile of Washington cities on the Eviction Risk Score index. The score is the average of the nine sub-axes, all calibrated on a national 1–10 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 Bothell (3 with eviction-risk data)
Click a neighborhood to see its pop-weighted score, constituent census tracts, and demographics. Sorted by population.
