Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Net eviction cost
$8,150
Gross cost before recovery
$8,750
Expected judgment recovery
$600
Unpaid rent during process
$4,000
Cash-for-keys still cheaper below this
$6,125
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How to use this
- 1Enter monthly rent ($).
- 2Enter months from filing to possession.
- 3Enter court filing + attorney fees ($).
- 4Enter sheriff / lockout fee ($).
- 5Enter make-ready after unit left in poor condition ($).
- 6Enter vacancy after eviction before re-lease (days).
- 7Enter chance of recovering back rent via judgment (%).
- 8Read your net eviction cost on the right — it updates as you type.
- 9Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
An eviction is rarely just a filing fee. By the time it's over, most landlords have absorbed weeks or months of unpaid rent during the legal process, attorney or filing fees, a sheriff's lockout fee in some jurisdictions, the cost of the unit sitting vacant after the tenant leaves, plus make-ready and re-leasing costs because the unit is usually left in worse condition than a normal move-out. This calculator adds every piece so you know the real cost before deciding whether to pursue an eviction, negotiate a cash-for-keys exit, or work out a payment plan — cash-for-keys is very often cheaper even though it feels like paying a tenant to leave.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Monthly rent: 1600 $
- Months from filing to possession: 2.5
- Court filing + attorney fees: 800 $
- Sheriff / lockout fee: 150 $
- Make-ready after unit left in poor condition: 2200 $
- Vacancy after eviction before re-lease: 30 days
- Chance of recovering back rent via judgment: 15 %
Results
- Net eviction cost: $8,150
- Gross cost before recovery: $8,750
- Expected judgment recovery: $600
- Unpaid rent during process: $4,000
- Cash-for-keys still cheaper below this: $6,125
What each field means
Inputs
- Monthly rent ($)
- The monthly rent used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1600 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Months from filing to possession
- The months from filing to possession used in the calculation. Starts at 2.5 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0.5–12.
- Court filing + attorney fees ($)
- The court filing + attorney fees used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 800 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Sheriff / lockout fee ($)
- The sheriff / lockout fee used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 150 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Make-ready after unit left in poor condition ($)
- The make-ready after unit left in poor condition used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 2200 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Vacancy after eviction before re-lease (days)
- The vacancy after eviction before re-lease used in the calculation, measured in days. Starts at 30 days so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–180 days.
- Chance of recovering back rent via judgment (%)
- The chance of recovering back rent via judgment used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 15 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–100 %.
Results
- Net eviction cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Gross cost before recovery
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Expected judgment recovery
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Unpaid rent during process
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Cash-for-keys still cheaper below this
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
How long does an eviction actually take?
It varies enormously by state and even by county court backlog — as fast as 3-4 weeks in landlord-friendly states with uncontested cases, to 4-6 months or more in tenant-protective jurisdictions or when the tenant contests. Always check current local timelines rather than a national average, since this single input drives most of the total cost.
What is cash-for-keys and when does it make sense?
It's paying a tenant a lump sum (commonly $500-$2,000) to vacate voluntarily and leave the unit in reasonable condition, avoiding the court process entirely. It almost always makes sense when the eviction timeline is long, since even a generous cash-for-keys offer is typically cheaper than two to three months of unpaid rent plus legal fees.
Can I recover back rent after an eviction?
You can get a money judgment, but actually collecting from a tenant who couldn't pay rent is difficult — most landlords recover well under 25% of judgments, and it takes ongoing effort like wage garnishment where allowed. Budget the eviction as if you won't collect, and treat any recovery as a bonus.
Does landlord insurance cover eviction costs?
Standard landlord policies generally don't cover eviction costs or lost rent from nonpayment — that requires a separate rent-guarantee or eviction-protection add-on, which some insurers and property managers now offer for a monthly fee per unit.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Eviction Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/eviction-cost-calculator
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/eviction-cost-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Eviction Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Eviction Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/eviction-cost-calculator) (2026).