Florida Eviction Statistics

If you own investment properties in Hillsborough County, you have probably familiarized yourself with the basics of Florida’s landlord-tenant laws. There are many important aspects to these laws, but perhaps none more so than the part that covers the removal of a problematic tenant. In Florida, landlords must go through the formal eviction process to legally remove a tenant from their rental unit.

Evictions are not very common in Florida. In Hillsborough County, the eviction rate for tenants is about 6%. Of course, because eviction is a legal process, it is something that you want to avoid as a landlord due to the cost and the stress. Careful screening of tenants and adept property management can help to reduce the number of evictions for your rental properties.

Based in Lithia, Eaton Realty provides comprehensive property management services to landlords throughout West Central Florida. We use a variety of technologies to streamline the process of marketing your property, screen tenants, and manage tasks like rent payment. Reach out today to learn more about how our team of experienced property managers can help you with your investment properties.

Understanding Eviction In Florida

In Florida, if you want a tenant to leave before their lease ends, you must follow the formal legal eviction process. This is known as terminating a tenancy for cause. The “cause” could be any lease violation - such as intentionally damaging property or nonpayment of rent - provided that it is not illegal or discriminatory.

Self-help eviction is illegal in Florida. You cannot change the locks or throw your tenants’ possessions onto the street. Instead, you have to take specific legal steps outlined by Florida law.

While there is never a guarantee that a tenant will always follow the terms of their lease and pay rent on time, thoroughly screening tenants can help reduce the likelihood that you will have to evict them later. Screening can include having applicants fill out a form and providing references, and then running credit and background checks. A good history of paying rent on time and no issues with prior landlords is often a good predictor of future behavior as a tenant.

Eviction Statistics for Florida

In the state of Florida, 56.8% of all residents rent their homes. The eviction rate varies considerably by county. Generally, counties with lower poverty rates have lower rates of eviction - which makes sense given that many evictions are tied to nonpayment of rent.

Overall, across Florida, there were 54.63 evictions per 1,000 renter households in 2023. This represents an increase from 52.45 evictions in 2022. 2024 is on pace to have another increase in evictions for Florida as a whole.

Best & Worst Months For Evictions

While eviction filings are made steadily throughout the year, there are certain months that experience a higher number of filings than others. Generally speaking, evictions are more likely to occur in the fall and summer months as opposed to the winter and spring months. August, October, and July are the worst months for evictions, with the highest numbers of monthly filings. January, February, And April are the three months with the lowest eviction filing numbers.

Month	Number of Eviction Filings
January	5,178
February	4,764
March	5,489
April	5,144
May	5,515
June	6,399
July	6,556
August	7,503
September	6,407
October	6,968
November	6,083
December	5,967

Florida Counties With The Highest Eviction Rates

The counties with the highest eviction rates in Florida are concentrated more toward the Northern half of the state. The top five counties with the highest eviction rates in Florida are Duval, Dixie, Putnam, Columbia, and Hillsborough counties. According to data collected for 42 out of 67 Florida counties, evictions have occurred at the following rates and numbers:

County	Number of Filings	Eviction Rate
Duval County	55,703	8.51%
Dixie County	138	6.97%
Putnam County	1,116	6.93%
Columbia County	1,062	6.86%
Hillsborough County	53,493	6.24%
Glades County	106	5.97%
Washington County	220	5.79%
Madison County	208	5.57%
Hamilton County	132	5.52%
Calhoun County	115	5.48%
Brevard County	12,012	5.44%
Manatee County	7,979	5.35%
Union County	121	5.34%
Lake County	7,023	5.31%
Bradford County	313	5.09%
Pasco County	6,276	5.02%
Highlands County	1,192	5%
Franklin County	97	4.94%
Liberty County	67	4.76%
Levy County	344	4.53%
Pinellas County	24,703	4.47%
Marion County	3,429	4.36%
Hernando County	1,596	4.24%
Baker County	202	4.23%
Okeechobee County	420	4.15%
Sumter County	634	4.14%
Gulf County	103	3.96%
Hardee County	188	3.59%
Walton County	635	3.53%
Hendry County	316	3.53%
Wakulla County	142	3.51%
Lafayette County	46	3.50%
Desoto County	330	3.46%
Jackson County	365	3.45%
Holmes County	149	3.41%
Nassau County	469	3.22%
Gilchrist County	85	2.68%
Santa Rosa County	885	2.45%
Jefferson County	76	2.20%
Miami-Dade County	67,676	0.60%
Lee County	10,462	0.31%
Collier County	2,482	< .01%

The eviction rates are based on the number of evictions per 100 renter households between November 2023 and October 2024. The eviction numbers are for total eviction filings since March 2020.

Hillsborough County Eviction Statistics

In Hillsborough County, approximately 53.7% of people rent their homes - compared to 45.83% of people nationally. Roughly 6% of these tenants go through an eviction process each year. In a given month, roughly 1,200 eviction complaints are filed in local courts.

Since March 16, 2020, there have been 53,493 eviction filings in Hillsborough County - which includes an eviction moratorium from April 2020 to August 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The poverty rate in Hillsborough County is 14.03%, which is higher than the national average of 13.1%.

Monthly trends are identical to the rest of the state. August, October, and July are the worst months for evictions, while January, April, and February have the lowest number of eviction filings.

Month	Number of Eviction Filings
January	884
February	766
March	909
April	883
May	911
June	1,051
July	1,180
August	1,269
September	1,141
October	1,268
November	1,174
December	1,147

Addresses With The Most Evictions In Hillsborough County

Eviction filings within Hillsborough County are disproportionately more frequent in Tampa than in other cities in the county. If you drill down even further, it becomes apparent that a small number of properties within the county are responsible for a large number of filings. Below are the top five addresses where evictions were filed within Hillsborough County from 2020 until now.

Address	Number of Eviction Filings
4939 E Busch Blvd, Tampa, FL	280
8409 Del Rey Ct, Tampa, FL	247
15303 Plantation Oaks Dr, Tampa, FL	133
1250 Skipper Rd, Tampa, FL	130
2014 Plantation Key Cir, Brandon, FL	93

While no landlord wants to evict a tenant, it is sometimes necessary to do so. You made an investment in a piece of property and have a lot of expenses that go along with it - like a mortgage payment, property taxes, and insurance. If a tenant isn’t paying rent or is violating the lease in another way, you have to protect your legal and financial interests.

Our property management team closely monitors our clients’ rental properties for any indications of a potential problem, such as tenants who are not doing basic upkeep on the property (like changing air filters). We also track rent payments to make sure that any issues can be addressed immediately - rather than waiting until it is a much larger problem.

Simplify Management Of Your Hillsborough County Rental Properties With Eaton Realty

There are a lot of benefits to purchasing an investment property in the Tampa area. You can build equity over time and even turn a profit. But there can also be a fair number of headaches that come with being a landlord - which is why working with a property manager is so important.

Eaton Realty is a Tampa property management company that assists landlords throughout Hillsborough County with their rental properties. We have experience in all aspects of Florida real estate, from buying and selling property to property management. Our services include everything from preparing your property for listing to marketing your rental unit to screening tenants, collecting rent, dealing with maintenance requests, and handling evictions when necessary.

To learn more about our property management services, fill out our online contact form or call our office at 813-672-8022.