A total of 10 corporate investment companies own approximately 20 percent of single-family rentals in Pinellas and Hillsborough counties. Eight of the companies have eviction rates far outpacing the county’s average.
As the Hillsborough County courthouse emptied around her, Ayesha Evans sat on a bench and wept. Her adult son buried his face in his hands. They were beginning to accept the inevitable: They would be evicted from their Valrico home early the next morning. The courthouse was closing in 10 minutes and Evans was running out of options. She hadn’t slept the night before. Her 15-year-old kept .