Eviction Laws in High Point, North Carolina
High Point is the Triad’s industrial core — a city of roughly 120,000 best known internationally as the home of the High Point Market, the world’s largest furniture trade show, which brings 75,000+ industry buyers to town twice a year every April and October. That same industrial and manufacturing heritage defines the rental landscape. High Point has one of the most affordable rental markets in North Carolina — median rents sit around $1,245/mo, well below the statewide average — and the renter population skews heavily toward working-class and service-industry households. The city borders Greensboro and shares Guilford County’s court system, but operates its own satellite courthouse specifically for High Point-area civil and eviction cases. For landlords, this means a distinct local court experience compared to Greensboro’s higher-volume downtown docket.
Eviction filings in High Point reflect the working-class character of the market — nonpayment cases are the dominant docket driver, and landlords dealing with income-volatile tenants (gig workers, seasonal manufacturing employees, hourly service workers) should expect some annual delinquency. The upside is that High Point’s affordable rent tier means even the worst-case eviction scenario — a full vacancy month plus court costs — is less financially damaging than in premium markets like Cary or Wilmington. The same North Carolina state law applies: 10-day notice for nonpayment, $96 filing fee, summary ejectment hearing in small claims court. High Point has no rent control, no mandatory rental registration, and no city-run proactive inspection program. What it does have, operating directly inside the High Point Courthouse, is the Guilford County TEAM (Tenant Education, Advocacy, Mediation) Project — a UNCG-Legal Aid NC collaboration that landlords should know about.
High Point & Guilford County — Local Rules That Affect Landlords
The TEAM Project — Guilford County’s Eviction Mediation Program. This is the single most important local factor for High Point landlords to understand. The UNCG Center for Housing and Community Studies, in partnership with Legal Aid of North Carolina, operates the Tenant Education, Advocacy, and Mediation (TEAM) Project inside the High Point Courthouse every Monday at 1 p.m. and Wednesday at 10 a.m. TEAM staff are physically present in the courthouse hallways on those days, connecting with tenants who have active eviction cases and offering mediation, rental assistance referrals, and legal education. For landlords, this has real implications: even after you file, TEAM may approach your tenant with payment plan options or housing assistance that could resolve the case before the hearing. This is not necessarily bad for landlords — TEAM research shows that most landlords prefer payment over eviction — but it means the court appearance is not always the final word. If your corporate policy prohibits partial payments, TEAM mediation will typically not apply to your case. If you are open to payment plans, TEAM can facilitate resolution that avoids a lengthy process and gets you paid without a full judgment. Contact TEAM through the UNCG Center for Housing and Community Studies at 336-334-3731 or drnorris2@uncg.edu.
Guilford County mediation emphasis. Guilford County’s local court culture emphasizes pre-hearing mediation more than most NC counties. Online filing is available for convenience. Landlords who prefer to go straight to judgment without a mediation conversation should still file normally — participation in TEAM is voluntary for both parties, and courts will proceed to hearing on schedule regardless of whether mediation is attempted. However, understanding that this resource exists and being prepared for tenant outreach after filing is simply good preparation.
Furniture Market seasonality — lease timing matters. High Point’s biannual furniture market (April and October) creates a brief but intense demand spike for short-term rentals and furnished corporate housing. Landlords with properties near the International Home Furnishings Market Authority showrooms (downtown and surrounding areas) can achieve substantially above-market rates for the 10-day market window. These are commercial hospitality arrangements, not standard residential leases, and require separate agreements. Be aware that High Point city code regulates short-term rentals through standard zoning — there is no city-level STR permit system equivalent to Raleigh’s, but zoning restrictions apply. During non-market periods, vacancy in the downtown corridor can be elevated as corporate visitors depart.
No mandatory rental registration. High Point does not require landlords to register residential rental properties. No proactive inspection program exists. Code enforcement on long-term rentals is complaint-driven. Maintain properties to NC minimum housing standards (G.S. § 42-42) to avoid any complaint-triggered enforcement.
Section 8 / HCV vouchers. High Point has a meaningful subsidized housing population. Landlords who accept Housing Choice Vouchers should be aware that the Guilford County Housing Authority administers the local HCV program. HCV tenants have additional protections under federal regulations and lease terms are constrained by HUD rules, but voucher-funded rentals also provide stable, government-backed income. Many landlords in High Point’s affordable segment find HCV tenants to be lower-risk from a payment standpoint than unsubsidized working-class renters in volatile employment.
High Point Courthouse — Where Local Landlords File
High Point is in Guilford County and has its own satellite courthouse for civil filings, including summary ejectments. File at the Guilford County Courthouse – High Point, 505 East Green Drive, High Point, NC 27262, phone: 336-822-6700. This is the correct filing location for any property located within High Point city limits — do not file at the Greensboro courthouse (201 South Eugene Street) unless your property is in the Greensboro portion of Guilford County. File your Complaint in Summary Ejectment with the Clerk of Superior Court. The $96 filing fee applies statewide. After filing, the Guilford County Sheriff serves the summons on your tenant; hearings are typically scheduled within 7–14 days. If the magistrate rules in your favor and no appeal is filed within 10 days, apply for a Writ of Possession. The Guilford County Sheriff enforces the writ. Self-help eviction — changing locks, cutting utilities, removing belongings before writ execution — is illegal under G.S. § 42-25.6.
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