It happened fast. If you were living in the Valley last year, you probably heard the whispers or saw the moving trucks. But the numbers tell a story that's way more intense than just "rent is too high." In 2024, Maricopa County didn't just see a lot of evictions; it shattered a record that had stood since before the 2008 housing market collapsed.
We are talking about 87,197 eviction filings in a single year.
That is roughly 238 filings every single day. Or, if you want to get really granular, one filing every six minutes. Honestly, it’s a staggering pace that has left the local court system and social services completely underwater. While some people want to blame a "greedy landlord" narrative and others point to "deadbeat tenants," the reality of maricopa county evictions 2024 is a messy, complicated mix of population explosions, a lack of "middle" housing, and a legal system that moves faster than almost anywhere else in the country.
Why 2024 Became the Breaking Point
A lot of folks think we’re still just feeling the "hangover" from the pandemic. That’s partly true, but it’s not the whole story. By the time we hit 2024, the various safety nets—like the federal rental assistance programs and the CDC’s eviction moratorium—weren’t just frayed; they were gone.
According to Scott Davis, the spokesperson for Maricopa County Justice Courts, the numbers were "rising, rising, rising" all year long. Usually, filings slow down when it gets cold. Not this time. December 2024 was actually the busiest December on record for the county, with over 7,000 cases filed.
You’ve got to look at the "cost burden" to understand why. Data from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University shows that 52% of renters in Maricopa County are now cost-burdened. That means more than half of the people renting in Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler, and Glendale are spending over 30% of their paycheck just to keep a roof over their heads. Even worse, about 26% are "severely" burdened, dumping more than half their income into rent.
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When you're that stretched, one flat tire or one emergency room visit isn't just a headache. It's an eviction notice.
The "Speed" Factor
Arizona has some of the shortest eviction timelines in the United States. This is a point of huge contention. Pam Bridge from Community Legal Services has often pointed out that the process moves so fast that tenants barely have time to find help.
- The 5-Day Notice: If you miss rent, the landlord gives you five days to pay or quit.
- The Court Date: Once the landlord files, the court hearing usually happens within 3 to 6 days.
- The Writ: If the judge rules against the tenant, they often have just five days to pack everything they own and leave.
Basically, you can go from being a "tenant in good standing" to "homeless" in less than three weeks. For landlords, this speed is a protection for their investment. For tenants, it feels like a trapdoor.
Who Is Actually Getting Evicted?
The demographics of the 2024 crisis are pretty lopsided. The Eviction Lab at Princeton University tracked these cases and found that evictions in the Valley disproportionately hit Black and Hispanic households.
Black renters make up about 10% of the county's tenant population but represented roughly 18% of the eviction filings in 2024. Similarly, Hispanic renters represent about 30% of the market but accounted for 36% of the filings. It's not just about "who can't pay"—it's about which communities have the least amount of generational wealth to fall back on when things go south.
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The Average Debt
You might think people are being kicked out for owing ten grand. Nope. The average judgment in 2024 was around $3,385. While that's double what it was a decade ago, it's still a relatively small amount of money in the grand scheme of things. It shows how "on the edge" many families are. They aren't months behind; they are usually just one or two months behind.
The Courtroom Reality vs. The Myth
There’s this idea that judges are mean-spirited or that tenants don't show up. Both are kinda myths.
Actually, more tenants showed up to court in 2024 than in previous years. The "failure to appear" rate dropped below 25%, largely because the courts kept the virtual hearing options that started during the pandemic. People are trying to fight.
But here’s the kicker: Arizona law is very "black and white." If the rent wasn't paid, the judge almost always has to rule for the landlord. They can’t legally say, "Oh, your kid was sick? Okay, stay another month." Judge Anna Huberman, who hears hundreds of these cases, has noted that while she sees the tragedy, the law doesn't leave room for "kindness" in the verdict.
A Note on Sealing Records
One bit of good news from 2024 was the increased use of record sealing. About a third of the cases ended up being sealed. This is huge because having an eviction on your record is basically a "scarlet letter" that prevents you from renting almost anywhere else for years.
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What This Means for 2025 and Beyond
If you’re looking for a silver lining, 2025 is projected to be slightly lower than 2024, with filings expected to land around 84,000. But "lower than a record-breaking year" is still a crisis.
The main problem is that we aren't building enough. We have a massive supply-and-demand imbalance. While a bunch of luxury apartments went up in Phoenix and Scottsdale recently, we are desperately short on "workforce housing"—the kind of places a teacher or a grocery store manager can actually afford.
Actionable Steps if You're Facing Trouble
If you’re a renter in Maricopa County and that 5-day notice just hit your door, don't panic, but do move fast.
- Communicate immediately. Some landlords would honestly rather work out a payment plan than spend $1,000+ on legal fees and a constable. Talk to them before the filing happens.
- Call 2-1-1. Arizona’s 2-1-1 system is the primary gateway for emergency rental assistance.
- Check for "Manner of Disposition." If you can pay the full amount (including late fees and court costs) before the judge signs the judgment, you can often stop the eviction entirely and keep your record clean.
- Community Legal Services. If you think the eviction is "wrong"—like the landlord didn't provide essential services or the notice was served incorrectly—reach out to them. They are the primary nonprofit law firm for low-income residents in the Valley.
- Look into Mediation. Some Justice Courts offer mediation programs that can help you and the landlord reach an agreement without a formal judgment on your record.
The 2024 eviction surge was a wake-up call for Arizona. It showed that despite a "booming" economy and more people moving to the desert, a huge chunk of the population is living on a razor's edge. Solving this isn't just about more money; it's about changing how we think about housing stability in one of the fastest-growing counties in America.
Next Steps:
Check the Maricopa County Justice Court's public dashboard to see the latest filing trends in your specific precinct, as some areas like the South Mountain and Maryvale districts have significantly higher filing rates than the East Valley. If you are a landlord, review the updated 2024 Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act handbook to ensure your notice delivery methods meet the current "registered or certified mail" requirements to avoid having your case dismissed on a technicality.