In court-decided eviction outcomes for Hartford, WI, tenants prevail in roughly 28.4% 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 Hartford, WI 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
$2.1–5.6k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Hartford, WI costs landlords $2,114 to $5,644 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,110
29% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Hartford, WI is $1,110 per month per the U.S. Census American Community Survey (5-year 2023). 29% of renter households here spend more than 30% of pre-tax income on rent, the federal cost-burden threshold.
Renters
33.9%
of households
33.9% of occupied housing units in Hartford, WI 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
8.9%
3.5% unemp.
8.9% of Hartford, WI residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 3.5%. 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 +36.3% (2024)
3.8
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
3.8
State political climate
Wisconsin legislature & governorship
2.9
Economic stress
8.9% poverty · 3.5% unemp.
5.0
Supply constraint
$1,110 average · 33.9% renters
6.9
Rent Control risk
28.8% of income on rent
7.2
Eviction process difficulty
52 days filing → judgment
2.6
Tenant organizing strength
33.9% renters
7.2
Housing court bias
County bench composition
6.0
Geographic context
Risk heat across Hartford and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Hartford compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Washington County
High
#3of 10 cities
#3 of 10 cities in Washington County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Wisconsin
Moderate
#392of 803 cities
#392 of 803 cities in Wisconsin for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.8
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 2.8/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+0.9 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
52d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,110/mo. A contested eviction takes 52 days and costs $2,114–$5,644 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
33.9%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 15,821 residents, 33.9% rent. 29% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 8.9% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
3.8
Local + regional
The politics
Light-statute interior market.
Local & regional political climate score 3.8 and 3.8 (GOP margin +36.3% (2024)). State climate at 2.9, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
2.9
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 2.9/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 2.6, housing court bias 6, rent-control risk 7.2. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-2.4 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
5
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 5. Supply constraint: 6.9. The numbers behind those: 8.9% poverty, 3.5% unemployment, 29% of income on rent.
50-yr trendTwo visible dips · '08 + COVID
197620012026
Mirrors BLS unemployment series.
US eviction landscape · timeline × all-in cost
Hartford sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Hartford · 52d · ~$3.9k all-in ($75/day) · score 2.8National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Hartford, Wisconsin, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.8/10 (LOW 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.
Hartford is a city of 15,821 residents where 33.9% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 28.8% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,110/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 Hartford eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 2.6/10, 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 Hartford 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 Hartford's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 6/10 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 Hartford runs $2,114 to $5,644 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 $1,110/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 7.2/10 in Hartford, and the city carries meaningful rent control exposure (7.2/10). 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 Wisconsin, 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 Hartford: 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 LOW 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 Wisconsin's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $5,644 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Hartford
Trap · 6/10
For landlords, the 4.3/10 score is most actionable when combined with Washington County's specific court behavior. Housing-court bias sub-score: 6/10. Standard documentation and prompt action typically resolve cases quickly.
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, 1,980 eviction cases were filed across the tracker's coverage area, 0.90× the historical baseline (below baseline). Past 12 months: 25,794 filings. Pandemic-era cumulative: 145,103.
1,980Past month
25,794Past 12 months
0.90×vs baseline (past mo)
15.2%Repeat-tenant filings
Notice requirement: at least five days notice (in some cases more). Filing fee: $94.50 filing fee.
Last 36 months of filings2023-05-01 – 2026-04-01
Filings dropped 7% over the past 12 months.
Source: Eviction Lab Tracking System, Princeton University. Open Data Commons Attribution license.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Is Hartford a "tenant-friendly" city?
Not overly. Hartford's eviction process difficulty is low (2.6/10), meaning the actual court procedure isn't designed to be difficult for landlords. However, sub-scores like housing-court-bias (6) and tenant-organizing-strength (7.2) suggest that judges may be more sympathetic to tenants in certain situations, and local tenant groups might provide support. It's not as tenant-friendly as some major cities, but it's not a free-for-all for landlords either.
Q2
Can I charge whatever I want for a security deposit in Hartford?
Wisconsin law doesn't set a cap on security deposits. While you legally can charge more, it's generally recommended to stick to 1 to 2 months' rent. Overly high deposits can deter good tenants and make it harder to rent your property. Always remember the 21-day return deadline.
Q3
What if my tenant just disappears? Do I still need to evict them?
Yes, usually. Even if a tenant abandons the property, you generally need to follow the proper legal steps to regain possession. Simply changing the locks could be seen as an illegal eviction. Wisconsin law has provisions for abandoned property, but consulting an attorney to ensure you comply with the law is crucial before re-renting. This protects you from future claims.
Q4
Does Wisconsin have rent control that affects Hartford?
No, Wisconsin has a statewide ban on rent control. This means landlords in Hartford are generally free to set market rates for rent and increase them as they see fit, provided they comply with lease terms and provide proper notice. You can learn more about this on our Wisconsin rent control rules page. This is a significant advantage for landlords here compared to states with strong rent control measures.
Q5
Can I refuse to rent to someone if their income is from a government program?
Wisconsin does not have a statewide source-of-income protection law. This means, generally, you can establish your own income requirements. However, it's always best to apply your screening criteria consistently to all applicants to avoid discrimination claims. Consult with an attorney if you have specific questions about fair housing laws and tenant protections in Wisconsin. Our Wisconsin tenant protections guide has more details.
A 2.8/10 places Hartford in the 59th percentile of Wisconsin 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 climbed steadily 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 Hartford (2.8/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
