Renter-Friendly vs. Landlord-Friendly States (2026)

A simple, transparent score: how many of six common tenant protections each state's statutes include. Higher means more statutory protection for renters; lower means fewer rules on landlords.

Most renter-protective by this measure: District of Columbia, Hawaii, California, Colorado, Delaware. Fewest of these protections: Wyoming, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, West Virginia.

How the score works

Caps security deposits
Deposit back within 30 days
10+ days' notice before eviction for unpaid rent
Statewide limit on rent increases
Caps late fees
Requires notice before landlord entry

This counts statutes only. It does not weigh how strong each rule is, local city rules, court practice or enforcement, and a "No" can mean the state has no statute on that point. Click any state for the full rule and its source.

State	Score	Caps security deposits	Deposit back within 30 days	10+ days' notice before eviction for unpaid rent	Statewide limit on rent increases	Caps late fees	Requires notice before landlord entry
District of Columbia	5 / 6	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hawaii	5 / 6	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
California	4 / 6	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes
Colorado	4 / 6	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
Delaware	4 / 6	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
Iowa	4 / 6	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
Maine	4 / 6	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
Maryland	4 / 6	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Minnesota	4 / 6	No	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Nevada	4 / 6	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
New York	4 / 6	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
North Carolina	4 / 6	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No
Oregon	4 / 6	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Virginia	4 / 6	Yes	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Washington	4 / 6	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
Alaska	3 / 6	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Arizona	3 / 6	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Connecticut	3 / 6	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Massachusetts	3 / 6	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Nebraska	3 / 6	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
New Mexico	3 / 6	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
Pennsylvania	3 / 6	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	No	No
Rhode Island	3 / 6	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
South Dakota	3 / 6	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Utah	3 / 6	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	Yes
Vermont	3 / 6	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes
Alabama	2 / 6	Yes	No	No	No	No	Yes
Florida	2 / 6	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Georgia	2 / 6	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Kansas	2 / 6	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Michigan	2 / 6	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Missouri	2 / 6	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Montana	2 / 6	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
New Hampshire	2 / 6	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
New Jersey	2 / 6	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
North Dakota	2 / 6	Yes	Yes	No	No	No	No
Ohio	2 / 6	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
South Carolina	2 / 6	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Tennessee	2 / 6	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	No
Texas	2 / 6	No	Yes	No	No	Yes	No
Wisconsin	2 / 6	No	Yes	No	No	No	Yes
Arkansas	1 / 6	Yes	No	No	No	No	No
Idaho	1 / 6	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Indiana	1 / 6	No	No	Yes	No	No	No
Kentucky	1 / 6	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Oklahoma	1 / 6	No	No	No	No	No	Yes
Wyoming	1 / 6	No	Yes	No	No	No	No
Illinois	0 / 6	No	No	No	No	No	No
Louisiana	0 / 6	No	No	No	No	No	No
Mississippi	0 / 6	No	No	No	No	No	No
West Virginia	0 / 6	No	No	No	No	No	No

General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.