In court-decided eviction outcomes for Yakima, 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
152d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Yakima, WA until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 152 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$7.1–18.0k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Yakima, WA costs landlords $7,118 to $18,022 all-in — court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,117
30% stretched on rent
Median gross rent in Yakima, WA is $1,117 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 30% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent — the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
46.2%
of households
46.2% of occupied housing units in Yakima, 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
17.0%
8.0% unemp.
17.0% of Yakima, WA residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 8.0%. 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
GOP margin +14.3% (2024)
5.2
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
5.2
State political climate
Washington legislature & governorship
6.0
Economic stress
17.0% poverty · 8.0% unemp.
7.8
Supply constraint
$1,117 average · 46.2% renters
7.7
Rent Control risk
29.6% of income on rent
6.1
Eviction process difficulty
152 days filing → judgment
5.3
Tenant organizing strength
46.2% renters
8.9
Housing court bias
County bench composition
6.7
Geographic context
Risk heat across Yakima and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Yakima compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Yakima County
High
#6of 27 cities
#6 of 27 cities in Yakima County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Washington
High
#96of 637 cities
#96 of 637 cities in Washington 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+3.9 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steepening since 2010 · COVID inflection visible
152d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,117/mo. A contested eviction takes 152 days and costs $7,118–$18,022 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
46.2%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 96,961 residents, 46.2% rent. 30% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 17.0% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
5.2
Local + regional
The politics
Mid-range climate. Not a coastal market.
Local & regional political climate score 5.2 and 5.2 (GOP margin +14.3% (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 5.3, housing court bias 6.7, rent-control risk 6.1. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +0.3 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: 7.7. The numbers behind those: 17.0% poverty, 8.0% unemployment, 30% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Yakima sits in the slow & expensive quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Yakima · 152d · ~$12.6k all-in ($83/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 Yakima, Washington, 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.
Yakima is a city of 96,961 residents where 46.2% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 29.6% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,117/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 Yakima eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 5.3/10 — 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 Yakima closes 152 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 Yakima's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 6.7/10 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 Yakima runs $7,118 to $18,022 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 152 days of typical timeline and $1,117/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 8.9/10 in Yakima, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (6.1/10). 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 Yakima: 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 $18,022 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Yakima
Trap · PRACTICAL TRAP
Cost-versus-timeline trade-off: at 152 days and roughly $18,022 on the high end, cash-for-keys at $7,208 to $10,813 typically beats the legal route for non-aggravated cases. Default judgment frequency is high under HB 1236 + RCW 59.18.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I evict a tenant in Yakima for no reason?
No, Washington is a "just-cause" eviction state. You must have a legally recognized reason to evict a tenant, even at the end of their lease term. Reasons include non-payment of rent, lease violations, or owner occupancy. Simply wanting the tenant out is not enough.
Q2
What if my tenant pays part of the rent after the 14-day notice?
Accepting partial rent after issuing a 14-day pay-or-quit notice can nullify your notice and require you to start the process over. Be very careful. If you accept a partial payment, ensure you have a clear, written agreement that it does not waive your right to pursue eviction for the remaining balance, or it's best to consult an attorney first.
Q3
How long does it take for the sheriff to remove a tenant after a court order?
Once you have a judgment for possession from the court, you'll need to get a writ of restitution. The sheriff's department in Yakima County will then schedule a lockout. This typically happens within a few days to a week after the writ is issued, but it depends on their schedule and availability. It is not immediate.
Q4
Can I charge a late fee in Yakima?
Yes, you can charge late fees, but they must be reasonable and explicitly stated in your lease agreement. Washington law caps late fees at a certain percentage or amount, so ensure your fee is compliant. You cannot charge a late fee until the rent is at least five days past due.
Q5
What if my tenant leaves belongings behind after an eviction?
You have specific legal obligations regarding abandoned property in Washington. You must store the property, send a notice to the tenant, and give them a reasonable time (usually 45 days) to retrieve it. If they don't, you can sell or dispose of it, but you may need to apply the proceeds to outstanding debts. Do not simply throw out their belongings; you could face legal consequences.
A 5.4/10 places Yakima in the 89th 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 Yakima (1 with eviction-risk data)
Click a neighborhood to see its pop-weighted score, constituent census tracts, and demographics. Sorted by population.
