In court-decided eviction outcomes for Cheyenne, WY, tenants prevail in roughly 4.0% 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
20d
filing → judgment
From the moment an unlawful-detainer notice is filed in Cheyenne, WY until a money judgment is entered, a contested eviction takes about 20 days on average. Longer timelines mean more lost rent and higher carry costs for landlords.
Cost range
$0.7–2.2k
legal + lost rent
A typical eviction in Cheyenne, WY costs landlords $677 to $2,168 all-in, covering court filing fees, process-server costs, attorney time, and lost rent during the calendar between filing and possession.
Average rent
$1,118
30% stretched on rent
Average gross rent in Cheyenne, WY is $1,118 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
32.9%
of households
32.9% of occupied housing units in Cheyenne, WY 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
9.3%
3.2% unemp.
9.3% of Cheyenne, WY residents live below the federal poverty line, and unemployment runs at 3.2%. 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
GOP margin +32.4% (2024)
2.0
Regional political climate
County-weighted neighbor mix
1.5
State political climate
Wyoming legislature & governorship
1.5
Economic stress
9.3% poverty · 3.2% unemp.
4.5
Supply constraint
$1,118 average · 32.9% renters
3.0
Rent Control risk
29.5% of income on rent
1.0
Eviction process difficulty
20 days filing → judgment
2.0
Tenant organizing strength
32.9% renters
1.0
Housing court bias
County bench composition
1.5
Geographic context
Risk heat across Cheyenne and the region
Click any city to see its score
How Cheyenne compares
Risk score vs. peers, county, state, and the U.S.
Rank in Laramie County
Elevated
#5of 10 cities
#5 of 10 cities in Laramie County for landlord eviction risk.
Rank in Wyoming
High
#49of 204 cities
#49 of 204 cities in Wyoming for landlord eviction risk.
vs. county · state · U.S.
Score story
Six-stop tour of the risk profile
2.7
/ 10 · LOW
The verdict
A Low-tier market.
Composite 2.7/10. Mid-range market; standard documentation usually wins. The 50-year curve shows a slow, steady climb.
50-yr trend+0.1 over 50 yr
197620012026
Steady ratchet · no large swings
20d
Typical timeline
The money
What renting (and evicting) looks like.
Rent published at $1,118/mo. A contested eviction takes 20 days and costs $677–$2,168 per case.
50-yr trendCalendar drag rising since '15
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
32.9%
Renters
The renters
Who you'll be renting to.
Out of 65,239 residents, 32.9% rent. 30% are spending 30%+ income on rent, 9.3% below the poverty line.
50-yr trendRenter share rising
197620012026
ACS 1970-present · once the migration overlay is in.
1.8
Local + regional
The politics
Light-statute interior market.
Local & regional political climate score 2 and 1.5 (GOP margin +32.4% (2024)). State climate at 1.5, a mid-range statehouse.
50-yr trendTracks county vote margin
197620012026
Built on 50-yr presidential margins back to 1976.
1.5
State politics
The process
Moderate calendar, moderate friction.
State political climate 1.5/10 sets the legislative ceiling for landlord remedies, and it shows up in the process. Eviction process difficulty reads 2, housing court bias 1.5, rent-control risk 1. Standard process speed for the state.
50-yr trendProcess difficulty +-3.0 since '00
197620012026
Court-clerk data lands in the next release.
4.5
Economic stress
The stress
Economic pressure is the background risk.
Economic stress: 4.5. Supply constraint: 3. The numbers behind those: 9.3% poverty, 3.2% 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
Cheyenne sits in the quick & cheap quadrant
Bubble size = population · color = risk score
Cheyenne · 20d · ~$1.4k all-in ($71/day) · score 2.7National average: 58d · $4.6k all-inHover any bubble for stats · click to openColor: 0–4 4–7 7–10
Landlording in Cheyenne, Wyoming, presents a manageable operating environment for documented landlords. The Eviction Risk Score is 2.7/10 (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.
Cheyenne is a city of 65,239 residents where 32.9% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and the typical renter spends 29.5% of income on rent. At an average rent of $1,118/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 Cheyenne eviction process actually works
Eviction process difficulty here reads 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 Cheyenne closes 20 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 Cheyenne's timeline is usually the calendar, not the motion practice. Housing court bias scores 1.5/10 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 Cheyenne runs $677 to $2,168 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 20 days of typical timeline and $1,118/month in lost rent, that crossover happens fast here.
03Operations
Security deposits, screening, and lease terms
Tenant organizing strength scores 1/10 in Cheyenne, and the city has limited rent control exposure (1/10). 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 Wyoming, 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 Cheyenne: 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 Wyoming's statutory language. Fix those four, and most cases settle or default. Skip them, and a $2,168 all-in fight is the realistic worst case.
04bPractical traps
Local traps to avoid in Cheyenne
Trap · PRACTICAL TRAP
Cost-versus-timeline trade-off: at 20 days and roughly $2,168 on the high end, cash-for-keys at $867 to $1,300 typically beats the legal route for non-aggravated cases. Default judgment frequency is high under Wyo. Stat. 1-21.
05FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Q1
Can I change the locks on a tenant who hasn't paid rent in Cheyenne?
No, absolutely not. Changing locks, shutting off utilities, or removing a tenant's belongings without a court order (Writ of Restitution) is an illegal "self-help" eviction. You must follow the legal eviction process through the courts and use the sheriff for removal. Doing otherwise can lead to significant legal penalties.
Q2
Is there rent control in Cheyenne, Wyoming?
No, there is no rent control in Cheyenne or anywhere else in Wyoming. The state has explicitly prohibited rent control, giving landlords the freedom to set and adjust rents according to market conditions. This is a significant advantage for landlords here. For more, see our Wyoming rent control rules.
Q3
How long does a tenant have to move out after the judge rules against them?
Typically, once the judge issues a Writ of Restitution, the tenant will have a few days (often 24-72 hours, depending on the judge's order and sheriff's schedule) to vacate before the sheriff will physically remove them. The Writ of Restitution specifies the exact timeframe.
Q4
What if my tenant claims a hardship and asks for more time?
While you can choose to grant an extension, you are not legally required to once the court has ruled in your favor. Any agreement for an extension should be in writing and clearly state the new move-out date and any conditions (e.g., partial payment). Be cautious, as extensions can sometimes delay the process further without resolution.
Q5
Do I need an attorney for an eviction in Cheyenne?
You are not legally required to have an attorney for an eviction in Wyoming. However, if the eviction is contested, involves complex legal issues, or if you simply want to ensure everything is done correctly and quickly, hiring an attorney is highly recommended. It can save you time and money in the long run by avoiding procedural errors.
Q6
Are there any specific tenant protections I should know about in Wyoming?
Wyoming has relatively few statewide tenant protections compared to many other states. There are no statewide source-of-income protections or just-cause eviction requirements. Landlords must still adhere to proper notice periods and maintain habitable properties. You can learn more about general tenant protections on our Wyoming tenant protections page.
A 2.7/10 places Cheyenne in the 79th percentile of Wyoming 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 Cheyenne (2.7/10)
Same risk band nationally · click any city for its full breakdown.
