In court-decided eviction outcomes for Des Moines, WA, tenants prevail in roughly 50.0% 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
150d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Des Moines, WA until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 150 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$7.6–17.9k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Des Moines, WA costs landlords $7,644 to $17,902 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,799
40% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Des Moines, WA is $1,799 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 40% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
39.4%
of households
39.4% of occupied housing units in Des Moines, 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
10.7%
7.2% unemp.
10.7% of Des Moines, WA residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 7.2%. 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)
6.0
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
6.0
State political climate
Washington legislature & governorship
6.0
Economic stress
10.7% poverty · 7.2% unemp.
6.7
Supply constraint
$1,799 average · 39.4% renters
8.4
Rent Control risk
39.8% of income on rent
9.0
Eviction process difficulty
150 days filing → judgment
5.5
Tenant organizing strength
39.4% renters
8.0
Housing court bias
County bench composition
7.2
Geographic context
Risk heat across Des Moines and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Des Moines compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in King County
Elevated
#16of 60 cities
#16 of 60 cities in King County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Washington
High
#87of 637 cities
#87 of 637 cities in Washington for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
7
/ 10 · HIGH
The verdict
A High-tier market.
Composite 7/10. High statutory friction with active tenant counsel, so assume defenses on every filing. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+4.5 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
150d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,799/mo. A contested eviction takes 150 days and costs $7,644–$17,902 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
39.4%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 32,823 residents, 39.4% rent. 40% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 10.7% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
6
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 6 and 6 (Dem margin +51.7% (2024)). State climate at 6, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
6
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 6/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 5.5, housing court bias 7.2, rent-control risk 9. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +0.5 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
6.7
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 6.7. Supply constraint: 8.4. The numbers behind those: 10.7% poverty, 7.2% unemployment, 40% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Des Moines sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Des Moines · 150d · ~$12.8k all-in ($85/day) · score 7National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Des Moines, Washington, presents a high-friction environment where attorney involvement on every filing is the norm. The Eviction Risk Score is 7/10 (HIGH 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 High-friction landlord market where lease drafting, screening discipline, and well-documented notices materially change outcomes.
Des Moines is a city of 32,823 residents where 39.4% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 39.8% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,799/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 Des Moines eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 5.5/10, 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 Des Moines closes 150 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 Des Moines's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 7.2/10 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 Des Moines runs $7,644 to $17,902 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 150 days of typical timeline and $1,799/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 8/10 in Des Moines, and the city sits at the top of the rent control risk spectrum (9/10). 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 Washington, 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 Des Moines: 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 HIGH 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 Washington's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $17,902 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Des Moines
Trap · 7.2/10
For landlords, the 6/10 score is most actionable when combined with Pierce County's specific court behavior. Housing-court bias sub-score: 7.2/10. Use proactive screening and documented notices.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
What if my tenant claims a maintenance issue as a reason not to pay rent?
In Washington, tenants have specific rights regarding repairs. If they give you proper written notice of a repair needed and you don't fix it within a certain timeframe (e.g., 24-72 hours for essential services, 10 days for other repairs), they can sometimes pay for the repair themselves and deduct it from rent, or even break the lease. However, they cannot simply withhold rent without following these specific procedures. Always respond promptly to repair requests and document your actions.
Q2
Can I evict a tenant for having unauthorized occupants?
Yes, if your lease clearly states limits on occupants and defines unauthorized occupants as a lease violation. You would issue a notice to cure or quit, giving the tenant a chance to remedy the violation. If they don't, you can proceed with an unlawful detainer action based on that lease breach. Make sure your lease is specific about who can live in the unit.
Q3
How often can I increase the rent in Des Moines?
Washington state does not have statewide rent control, but local ordinances can change this. Currently, there are no specific rent control ordinances in Des Moines. However, you must give proper written notice for any rent increase, typically 60 days for month-to-month tenancies. Be aware that the political climate often pushes for stricter rent stabilization measures, so this could change.
Q4
What's the best way to handle a tenant who constantly pays late?
Consistently late payments, even if they eventually pay, can be grounds for eviction if your lease specifies a late fee and a firm due date. However, each late payment requires a new 14-day pay-or-quit notice. If the tenant always pays within the 14 days, you can't evict for non-payment. Your best bet is to enforce late fees strictly and consider non-renewal at the end of the lease term, if permissible under just-cause rules.
Q5
Do I need to offer a written lease, or can I do month-to-month?
While month-to-month tenancies are legal, a strong written lease is always recommended in Washington. It clearly outlines the rights and responsibilities of both parties, which is crucial in a state with complex landlord-tenant laws. A written lease provides more protection for you in court if a dispute arises.
A 7/10 places Des Moines in the 88th 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 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 Des Moines (2 with eviction-risk data)
Click a neighborhood to see its pop-weighted score, constituent census tracts, and demographics. Sorted by population.
