Filing fees are the cheap part. Lost rent and turnover are where it really hurts.
When landlords estimate eviction costs, they usually think about the obvious expenses: the filing fee ($30-$300), the process server or sheriff fee ($50-$150), and attorney fees if they hire one ($500-$2,500 for a standard uncontested eviction). These direct legal costs add up to $100-$3,000 depending on whether you self-represent or hire counsel and whether the case is contested.
For a straightforward, uncontested eviction where you represent yourself, the out-of-pocket legal costs might be as low as $150-$400. That's manageable. It's also a fraction of the true cost.
Lost rent is almost always the largest eviction expense. From the date the tenant stops paying to the date a new tenant moves in and starts paying, you're losing income while still paying the mortgage, insurance, taxes, and potentially utilities. The timeline typically looks like this: one month of non-payment before you serve notice (many landlords wait too long), one to three months for the eviction process to complete, and two to four weeks of turnover time to repair, clean, and re-rent.
At a modest rent of $1,200 per month and a three-month total timeline, you've lost $3,600 in rent alone. At a higher rent or in a slower state, the lost rent easily reaches $5,000-$10,000. This is money you'll likely never recover even with a favorable money judgment.
Property damage adds another layer. Tenants facing eviction don't always treat the property well on their way out. Deep cleaning after an eviction typically costs $300-$800, full repaint $400-$1,000, and damage repairs can range from minor ($200-$500) to extensive ($2,000-$5,000). Trash removal for abandoned belongings costs $100-$500 depending on volume.
Adding direct legal costs, lost rent, and turnover together, the total cost of a typical eviction ranges from approximately $2,000 on the low end (fast state, uncontested, minimal damage, low rent) to $10,000 or more on the high end (slow state, contested, significant damage, higher rent). The national average falls around $3,500-$5,000.
For context, a comprehensive tenant screening costs $35-$50 per applicant. You could screen 100 applicants for the cost of one average eviction. The return on investment for thorough screening is extraordinary — every dollar spent on screening saves an estimated $50-$100 in avoided eviction costs over the life of a portfolio.
This is why cash-for-keys often makes financial sense even though it feels wrong. Offering a tenant $1,000-$1,500 to leave voluntarily within a week costs a fraction of the $3,500-$5,000 average eviction and gets your property back in days instead of months. You avoid legal fees, minimize lost rent, and often get the property back in better condition because the departure is cooperative rather than adversarial.
Cash-for-keys doesn't work in every situation. Some tenants won't negotiate. Some owe so much that they have no incentive to cooperate. But when it's an option, run the numbers before dismissing it. The landlord who spends $1,000 on cash-for-keys and re-rents the unit two weeks later comes out thousands ahead of the landlord who spends three months in court on principle.
Prevention beats treatment. The cheapest eviction is the one that never happens. Invest in thorough tenant screening to reduce eviction probability, and when eviction is necessary, follow the process carefully to avoid costly errors. Start with knowing when to begin, serve the correct notice, file promptly, prepare for court, and handle the post-judgment process by the book.