Local Eviction Laws

About this dataset:

According to census data, close to 20 million renters in the United States spend at least 30 percent of their income on housing and utilities. Estimates suggest that landlords file 3.7 million eviction cases each year across the country. Eviction has been associated with poor public health outcomes and disproportionately affects people of color, women, and children. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the housing crisis and the inequities it perpetuates. Eviction laws, regulations, and policies vary dramatically across the nation, even within a single state, and it can be difficult to fully comprehend the impact that these policies have on eviction rates and their related public health outcomes.

This dataset provides a comprehensive overview of eviction laws and regulations in 30 U.S. cities that were in effect as of January 1, 2021. These jurisdictions were selected as part of Legal Services Corporation’s (LSC) Effect of State & Local Laws on Eviction Study, a congressionally funded study to examine the unmet legal needs involving eviction. Selection factors included variability in local laws and procedures, areas with high rates of eviction, and variations in local demographic and socioeconomic factors, among others. LSC is an independent nonprofit established by Congress in 1974 to fund civil legal aid for low-income Americans. For more information about LSC’s study, please visit https://lsc.gov/initiatives/effect-state-local-laws-evictions.

This map identifies and displays key features of the eviction process, including the reasons the law dictates for why a landlord may evict their tenant, notice requirements prior to eviction, the judicial process of eviction, and regulations controlling the physical execution of eviction. If you have any questions regarding the information provided here, please contact LawAtlas@temple.edu.