DeKalb County recorded about 25 eviction filings for every 100 renter households between June 2025 and May 2026, according to an Atlanta Regional Commission analysis of Princeton University’s Eviction Lab data.

The countywide figure includes Dunwoody and Brookhaven. It does not mean one in four distinct households faced eviction: landlords can file against the same household more than once, and a filing does not necessarily lead to removal.

DeKalb’s filing rate was second only to Clayton County’s 37% among the five core metro Atlanta counties studied.

Across Clayton, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett, landlords filed 142,047 eviction cases against a regional population of 592,742 renter households. That amounts to roughly 24 filings per 100 households—the highest rate among the jurisdictions Eviction Lab tracks.

Repeat filings add to the pressure

The region’s serial-filing rate was 36%, reflecting repeated cases against tenants at the same address. Researchers say landlords sometimes use those proceedings to collect overdue rent.

ARC described the elevated filing rate as a persistent pattern rather than a recent surge. The region’s rate was 5% below its baseline annual average.

Even when tenants remain in their homes, a court filing can complicate their next housing search. Eviction Lab research specialist Sarah Johnson told WABE in a February interview that records can affect future rental applications, according to the station’s Sept. 23 report.

Many cases end without an eviction

At a Sept. 10 presentation in Atlanta, Eviction Lab researchers said 95% of local cases involved unpaid rent. The typical tenant was one month behind when the landlord filed, according to Rough Draft Atlanta.

Researchers said about 65% of filings were dismissed after payment, while approximately 25% resulted in default judgments against tenants who did not appear in court.

Those outcomes do not establish how many households were ultimately displaced. Court data also misses people who leave after an eviction threat without a case being filed.

County housing plan approaches review

DeKalb is developing its first Comprehensive Housing Plan, covering homelessness, rental housing, homeownership and housing development.

Officials outlined the effort at an Aug. 17 town hall in Decatur. The plan launched in November 2025 and was expected to reach the Board of Commissioners for adoption this November, according to The Champion Newspaper.

County officials said the framework aims to coordinate housing programs and partnerships while establishing measurable goals for improving stability.