MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. — There were more than 7,000 eviction cases filed in Maricopa County during the month of May — bringing the number of evictions filed in the first six months of the year to the highest it's been since 2000.
The Maricopa County Justice Courts saw 7,247 cases filed, which is 146 cases, or approximately 2% more than in May.
But the amount of evictions filed in June brings the total number of evictions filed in 2024 to 42,254 — the highest number of evictions filed for the same period of time for any year dating back to 2000, and more evictions filed in the entirety of 2021. However, there was a moratorium on evictions in Arizona due to the pandemic that lasted from March 2020 to September 2021, which caused low numbers in both of those years.
An eviction filed does not mean the person or people being served an eviction notice are forced out of their home, according to the Justice Courts of Maricopa County. In some cases, the eviction is filed and the dispute is handled between residents and landlords out of court. In other instances, the issue is taken to court to be resolved.
When a landlord files an eviction, a tenant can still pay the "past-due" amount before a judge issues a ruling. Some tenants may move out before the eviction goes to court. A population increase also tends to lead to increased evictions filed.
The upward trend started in January when the first month of the year saw 515 more evictions filed than the next highest count in January of any year since 2006.
The highest number of evictions filed in the month of June was in June of 2005, where 7,373 cases were filed.
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