Eviction filings in some Central Florida counties are still hitting all-time highs, according to new data gathered by Central Florida Public Media.
Housing data revealed that, last year, seven counties in the region closed with their highest number of case filings in decades — maybe ever — and sheriff's office records showed that, on average, more than half of these cases end with the removal of tenants. At least one county executed its highest number of forced dispossessions.
People in Osceola and Sumter saw about 70% more eviction case filings than they had in 2019, before the pandemic. This number grows closer to 120% when compared to case filings in 2020 because of the COVID-era moratoriums. The increases reflect also the area's growth in population.
In 2023, all nine counties set record-high numbers for evictions, but this year, Orange and Seminole did not beat those numbers. Still, both counties hit their second highest totals in decades, which could indicate a slow decrease in cases, in contrast to the sharp hikes recorded in the last few years.
In general, Central Florida evictions are now up roughly 40% since before the pandemic. These numbers include a few commercial evictions.
Experts explain eviction hikes
Anne Ray, manager at the Florida Housing Data Clearinghouse, where some of this data came from, said the region’s housing issues have been exacerbated in a post-pandemic economy.
“We came into that pandemic already with a shortage of affordable housing and a growing gap between what wages pay and what people could afford to pay. People are really struggling now. We're seeing evictions in the Orlando area above historic levels,” she said.
According to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau, Central Florida has some of the most cost-burdened areas in the nation. With nearly 90% of extremely low-income renters in the Orlando–Kissimmee–Sanford Metropolitan Statistical Area, or Orlando MSA, being severely cost-burdened.
Sheriffs’ office records gathered from six of the counties show that well over half — an average of 59% — of these eviction cases end with the forced removal of tenants by law enforcement. In 2024, Marion County was confirmed to have carried out its largest number of officer-executed orders, or writs of possession, in at least five years.
But eviction cases don’t always have to go that far or even reach the courtroom.
Eviction law, landlords, and tenants
Most landlords are willing to work with tenants, said Andrew Easler, who specializes in evictions as the managing attorney at Easler Law, PLLC, in Brevard County — which has seen a nearly 82% hike in eviction cases in the last five years, since 2020.
“We have a responsibility to our clients to do what's in their best interest, and quite often, going to litigation, having a hearing, and having it all drawn out is usually not in their best interest,” he said.
Easler said landlords face outside pressures to make payments, too, and sometimes resort to evictions, despite the lengthy and expensive hassle.
His team often educates tenants on their rights, duties and responsibilities, which he said is an important step to clear the stigma and fear associated with eviction lawyers and the eviction process. Easler said that the worst thing a tenant can do is not respond.
“We're very fair, reasonable, and try to help them, but they have to reach out and communicate,” he said.
If a tenant receives an eviction letter from a landlord-hired lawyer, Easler said, reaching back out is always the best move. Whatever they do, renters should never ignore these notices.
“A lot of times we end up in hearings and the tenant says, ‘Oh, my daughter was sick, or, you know, I lost my job,’ and this is the first time that as attorneys we're hearing this. Had they just contacted us beforehand, we could have come to some kind of compromise, and saved everybody a lot of stress.”
Easler said the high rate of eviction cases is starting to cool down. Eviction Lab, an eviction tracking organization, has called the rise of post-pandemic evictions an “epidemic.”
For now, housing services leaders across Central Florida say their resources are exhausted by the growing number of families and individuals seeking help, trying to retain their homes and pay their bills.
Homelessness, Eviction's last form
Martha Are, CEO of the Homeless Services Network of Central Florida, said the rise in evictions since the pandemic has been displacing families and adding to the housing crisis.
“During the pandemic years, we were buffered a little bit with our housing crisis because we had an eviction moratorium and a lot of federal dollars for our community. But those buffers are gone, and we are now seeing the realities of our housing market and its implications on vulnerable neighbors. We are seeing more people become homeless,” Are said.
Are said evictions can drive up homelessness because once an individual gets an eviction on their record, it is nearly impossible for them to rent again. It also makes them ineligible for the Housing Choice Voucher Program, better known as Section 8.
At Family Promise of Brevard, Program Director Mike Hoenick said his organization is working harder than ever with help from the community.
“Things have gotten busier, especially since the pandemic,” he said. “About 40% of Brevard residents are actually one paycheck away from potentially losing their housing. That's really directly related to rising cost of living, including housing. But what’s not maintaining that same rise is wages, so a lot of families are feeling the pinch in their personal finances on a regular basis.”
But Hoenick said there are options, especially for families with school-age children experiencing housing insecurity. He recommended getting help through guidance counselors, who can code students as “in transition,” which will connect them to additional support and eviction prevention.
The rise in population in Central Florida adds nuance to the eviction case numbers. In Osceola, a 71% increase in evictions since 2019, when considering that more people moved to the county by 2024, came to about a 48% increase. Sumter’s 70% was 32%, and Seminole’s 50% rise had an impact of 38% when the increase in the number of renters was factored in.
Lillian Hernández Caraballo is a Report for America corps member.
