In court-decided eviction outcomes for North Fort Lewis, WA, tenants prevail in roughly 46.1% 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
156d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in North Fort Lewis, WA until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 156 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$7.5–17.1k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in North Fort Lewis, WA costs landlords $7,493 to $17,104 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$2,475
42% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in North Fort Lewis, WA is $2,475 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 42% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
99.2%
of households
99.2% of occupied housing units in North Fort Lewis, 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
13.3%
13.4% unemp.
13.3% of North Fort Lewis, WA residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 13.4%. 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 +10.8% (2024)
6.3
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
6.3
State political climate
Washington legislature & governorship
6.0
Economic stress
13.3% poverty · 13.4% unemp.
7.8
Supply constraint
$2,475 average · 99.2% renters
9.8
Rent Control risk
42.4% of income on rent
9.2
Eviction process difficulty
156 days filing → judgment
5.4
Tenant organizing strength
99.2% renters
9.9
Housing court bias
County bench composition
7.7
Geographic context
Risk heat across North Fort Lewis and the region
Click any city to see its score
How North Fort Lewis compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Pierce County
Very High
#2of 60 cities
#2 of 60 cities in Pierce County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Washington
Very High
#15of 637 cities
#15 of 637 cities in Washington for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
7.3
/ 10 · HIGH
The verdict
A High-tier market.
Composite 7.3/10. High statutory friction with active tenant counsel, so assume defenses on every filing. The 50-year curve shows a sharp climb.
50-yr trend+4.7 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
156d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $2,475/mo. A contested eviction takes 156 days and costs $7,493–$17,104 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
99.2%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 6,337 residents, 99.2% rent. 42% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 13.3% 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 +10.8% (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 5.4, housing court bias 7.7, rent-control risk 9.2. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +0.4 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: 9.8. The numbers behind those: 13.3% poverty, 13.4% unemployment, 42% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
North Fort Lewis sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
North Fort Lewis · 156d · ~$12.3k all-in ($79/day) · score 7.3National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in North Fort Lewis, Washington, presents a high-friction environment where attorney involvement on every filing is the norm. The Eviction Risk Score is 7.3/10 (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.
North Fort Lewis is a city of 6,337 residents where 99.2% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 42.4% of income on rent. At an average rent of $2,475/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 North Fort Lewis eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 5.4/10, 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 North Fort Lewis closes 156 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 North Fort Lewis's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 7.7/10 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 North Fort Lewis runs $7,493 to $17,104 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 156 days of typical timeline and $2,475/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 9.9/10 in North Fort Lewis, and the city sits at the top of the rent control risk spectrum (9.2/10). 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 North Fort Lewis: 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 $17,104 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in North Fort Lewis
Trap · 7.7/10
For landlords, the $1/10 score is most actionable when combined with Thurston County's specific court behavior. Housing-court bias sub-score: 7.7/10. Use proactive screening and documented notices.
04Eviction filings
Live filings tracking · Eviction Lab
Princeton Eviction Lab Tracking System, county-level. Last update 2026-05-01.
In the most recent month, 328 eviction cases were filed across the tracker's coverage area, 1.40× the historical baseline (above baseline). Past 12 months: 3,573 filings. Pandemic-era cumulative: 13,911.
328Past month
3,573Past 12 months
1.40×vs baseline (past mo)
10.6%Repeat-tenant filings
Notice requirement: at least 14 days notice. Filing fee: $250 filing fee.
Last 36 months of filings2023-05-01 – 2026-04-01
Filings climbed 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 North Fort Lewis for minor lease violations?
No, not easily. Washington is a just-cause state. Minor lease violations typically require a notice to cure or quit, giving the tenant time to fix the issue. If they fix it, you cannot evict them for that specific violation. Repeated or severe violations might eventually lead to an eviction, but it's a much higher bar than simple non-payment.
Q2
What if my tenant claims they can't pay due to military deployment?
Tenants who are active duty military personnel have significant protections under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA). This act can pause or delay eviction proceedings, especially if their ability to pay rent is affected by military service. Always verify military status and consult an attorney immediately if you suspect SCRA applies. Attempting to evict a protected service member illegally carries severe penalties.
Q3
Can I raise the rent whenever I want in North Fort Lewis?
While there isn't traditional rent control in North Fort Lewis, Washington state has strong tenant protections. You must provide proper notice (typically 60 days for month-to-month tenancies, or as specified in your lease for fixed-term leases) before increasing rent. Excessive rent increases can sometimes be challenged by tenants, especially if they are seen as retaliatory. Given the 9.2 rent-control-risk sub-score, be cautious and reasonable with rent adjustments. See the Washington rent control rules for more.
Q4
What's the best way to handle a tenant who refuses to move out after their lease ends?
If a tenant's fixed-term lease ends and they remain in the property without your permission, they become a "holdover" tenant. In a just-cause state like Washington, you still can't simply evict them without a reason. You'd typically need to provide a 20-day notice to terminate tenancy (if it was a month-to-month conversion) or serve a notice to vacate if the lease explicitly states no renewal. However, if you accepted rent after the lease end, you might have inadvertently created a month-to-month tenancy. Always consult an attorney for holdover situations to ensure you follow the correct legal steps for termination and potential eviction.
A 7.3/10 places North Fort Lewis in the 100th 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.
Cities with similar eviction risk to North Fort Lewis (7.3/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
