Our Methodology for the 2026 Landlord vs. Tenant State Rankings

On our 1-5 scale, factors closer to 1 mean they’re more tenant-friendly, while state factors closer to 5 benefit landlords more. Each state’s final score is based on the weighted average of 10 important factors of current rental property law. Many of these factors can be verified via the relevant statutes, while others will vary widely on a case-by-case basis.

Here’s the full breakdown of this year’s “Landlord Tenant Friendliness Index”, including the 10 relevant factors, why we chose them, and how we weighted each one in the final verdict.

First, we came up with 10 ways to gauge landlord/tenant laws & protections…

Within the active rental property laws and regulations of all 50 states, there are a number of common denominators that informed what we should focus on. It’s important to note, however, that the criteria for a particular score is not ironclad. Variations between state law, how the laws are enforced, and how much they impact the population of renters creates a lot of room for nuance. These scores attempt to balance that nuance with clear, standardized comparisons between states. Our 10 factors for evaluating landlord/tenant law include:

Formal Landlord/Tenant Act

Highly regulated L/T act, tenant bill of rights may be state-provided	Extensive L/T act, local tenant bill of rights may be provided	Formal and balanced L/T act, may or may not have tenant bill of rights	Basic protections, no formal L/T act	No L/T act, requirements may be based only on federal minimums
1	2	3	4	5

Many states feature a formal tenant/landlord act that covers most of the standard protections for all parties, as well as any penalties and enforcement tools. However, how far these protections go still varies considerably. Several of our ranking factors, like rules on security deposits or late fees, are found in these statutes.

Note: State governments can still provide core protections without a specific landlord/tenant act. For example, many states’ rules on eviction proceedings are in separate statutes. Some states have strong protections without a formal L/T act, while other states with formal L/T legislation have more limited protections. The strength and extent of protections are given priority over a formal act.

Rent Control/Stabilization laws, or State Preemption of Them

Statewide caps implemented, may also have local caps	Local caps, some state programs implemented	No state cap or preemption, local cap/stabilization programs considered	State preemption, so any local control is “grandfathered in”	State preemption, may be pushing for full prohibition
1	2	3	4	5

Most states don’t have rent control or stabilization laws, and in fact preempt local/city governments from passing them. But many of these cities still enforce additional ordinances unrelated to rent prices, strengthening rights through things like habitability standards or mandatory licensing.

Note: It’s county/city-level programs that cover the vast majority of tenants under some form of rent control or stabilization. But at the same time, these programs are in large, highly-influential cities like New York, Chicago, San Francisco, and Seattle, with large percentages of their states’ total populations.

Regulatory Burdens like Inspection or Registration Mandates

Very strong, State-enforced regulations w/ mandatory costs	Strong regulations, enforcement tools w/ mandatory documentation	Supplemental regulations, periodic local	Supplemental regulations, but mostly local w/ complaint-based enforcement	Minimal regulations, minimal enforcement tools. State restrictions on new regulations
1	2	3	4	5

Lots of common regulatory requirements are actually mandated at the state level, but many others come from county or city governments. Since populations are concentrated in urban areas, these local-level ordinances still have a major impact. Chicago, New York City, and Seattle are some great examples.

Note: Most regulatory burdens fall on landlords because they relate to procedural rules for documentation, building codes etc. Tenant burdens may include costs passed to them from landlords, restrictive screening/background checks, and rules for appealing evictions/withheld deposits.

Average Eviction Costs per State

<$300	$300 – $500	$500 – $700	$700 – $1,000	$1,000+
1	2	3	4	5

This includes filing paperwork, lawyers’ fees, and even soft costs like cleanup. Lost rent is far and away the costliest unknown, most impactful in states with longer eviction timelines. An uncontested eviction in landlord-friendly states may cost a few hundred dollars, while a drawn-out, contested eviction in a tenant-friendly state could cost more than $10,000.

Other than court filing costs at the county-level, public data for a lot of states’ eviction costs is hard to find, and there will be huge swings in these other expenses. The takeaway should be your mileage can and will vary.

Note: These baselines assume the filing/sheriff costs for a simple, uncontested eviction. Judicial backlogs, the fees of available lawyers, and average rent prices all impact final costs, especially with contested evictions.

Average Eviction Timelines and/or Filing Rates

<30 days	30 – 60 days	60 – 90 days	90 – 120 days	120+ days
1	2	3	4	5

Long, complicated evictions mean higher court costs and months of lost rent. Adding regulatory burdens, like dispute mediation or longer notice periods, also extend the timeline. The shortest evictions could average as few as 3-6 weeks, while the process in the most tenant-friendly states might last as long as 3 or 4 months.

Note: With sheriff availability and court scheduling delays, every eviction process is different. Remember that an eviction could be shorter or longer than these average ranges.

Required Notice Periods for Nonpayment, Lease Violations

21+ days	7 – 14 days	5 – 7 days	3 – 5 days	<3 days
1	2	3	4	5

Landlords have to notify tenants of any payment/lease violations in advance before starting eviction proceedings. Nearly all states’ required notice periods for lease violations (averaging 2-4 weeks) are longer than in cases of nonpayment (as few as 3-5 days). There are a also couple states that don’t require any notification period, so landlords can start eviction proceedings for nonpaying tenants the next day.

Note: Eviction notice periods are generally given priority over lease violation notice periods. Variations within curable/incurable requirements add further nuance. Also, remember that notices to terminate tenancies are not the same as notices to cure/pay or quit before the landlord files for eviction.

Effective Property Tax Rates

>2%	1.5–2%	1–1.5%	0.7–1.0%	<0.7%
1	2	3	4	5

We looked at the effective property tax rate because there are big differences between rural and urban counties, and many counties only tax a percentage of property value. Differences can illustrate how property value vs. the actual tax rate affects the total tax burden a landlord faces.

Note: The overwhelming majority of rental units are in still within urban areas featuring higher average property tax rates. Meanwhile, states with no property tax are evaluated by other tax burdens like income tax.

Adverse Possession Requirements, Squatter’s Rights

≤7 years possession w/ exceptions, strong squatter rights	7-10 years possession w/ exceptions, basic squatter’s rights	10-15 years possession, with/without exceptions. Minimal if any squatter’s rights.	≤20 years possession, may have some exceptions. May have shorter removal process for squatters	≥20 years possession, often with no exceptions. Expedited squatter removal
1	2	3	4	5

While the stereotypical trespasser may not conjure much of your sympathy, there are situations where these laws protect tenants and reestablish property lines. The length of time required varies wildly between states, with some granting possession in as few as 5 years with color of title, or as many as 60 years on land plots set aside for specific use.

Note: Some states offer no exceptions to these requirements, while others feature steep drops in the possession rules (as much 50% or more of total period) when the occupier has color of title or pays property taxes factored in.

Rules on Security Deposits

Capped at 1 month’s rent, strict 14-day return, rules for interest and damages	Capped at 1 month’s rent, shorter return windows, stronger holding rules	Often capped at 1-2 months’ rent, may have some holding rules	No cap or 2 month’s rent, with shorter return window of 30-45 days	No cap or 2 month’s rent, with the widest return windows of 45-60 days
1	2	3	4	5

This includes how much landlords can hold as the deposit as well as return windows. A maximum deposit of 1-2 months’ rent is common, although many states don’t enforce a formal cap. Instead, deposits deemed “unreasonable” can be contested. Tenant-friendly states may require that deposits are kept in interest-bearing savings accounts.

Note: Deposit caps and return windows are given priority over deposit holding rules. Some states offer no caps but short return windows and vice versa, adding some nuance.

Rules on Late Fees

Fixed late fees, generally requires a grace period	Fixed fee or ≤10% of rent, may require grace period	≤10% of rent	≥10% of rent	No cap, late fees enforced by lease terms
1	2	3	4	5

Late fees are mostly dictated by lease terms, but like security deposits, tenants can contest “unreasonable” fees. When states do enforce a cap, it’s usually by a percentage of rent or specific dollar amounts. Other states enforce late fee caps, but only for mobile/manufactured homes.

Note: States that offer both dollar amounts and percentages of rent default to what is higher. Fixed fees are considered more tenant-friendly because their impact is lessened by inflation.

Next, we placed them in 1 of 4 buckets based on their importance to landlord/tenant law

These broader categories, Legal, Evictions, Financial and Misc. are weighted according to how much they impact today’s rental property law, legal proceedings etc.

Category	Factors	Weight	Rationale	Primary Sources
Legal	Formal Landlord/Tenant Act Rent control or preemption Regulatory burdens	35%	This mostly relates to the degree of state-level control. Legal codes and statutes inform how the state regulates the industry for decades.	State law, government agency memos, county and city-level ordinances
Evictions	Eviction timelines Required notice periods Potential costs	35%	We weighted evictions similarly to legal statutes because they’re the most costly and visible pain point of rental property disputes.	State law, court filings, legal aid organizations
Financial	Security deposits Late fees Effective property tax rates	20%	What impacts risk and ROI for rental property management. High taxes increase holding costs, while fee caps and return windows impact flexibility in between leases.	State law, public tax data
Miscellaneous	Adverse Possession requirements Access to resources Enforcement tools	10%	Some states offer rental/eviction aid programs, or mandate tenant rights’ handbooks to keep renters informed and aware.	State law, government programs, nonprofit organizations

Finally, we created the formula for generating each factor’s final score on the Landlord – Tenant Friendliness Index

With how we weighted each category, our final L.T.F.I. formula is as follows: (Eviction Avg × 0.35) + (Legal Avg × 0.35) + (Financial Avg × 0.2) + (Practical Avg × 0.1). Let’s plug in a state with wide-ranging scores, like Michigan’s, to see it in action.

With the averages of each category in place, the final formula looks like this: (4 × 0.35) + (4.3 × 0.35) + (3 × 0.2) + (Practical Avg = 3.5 × 0.1)

Michigan’s final score is the sum of these numbers, so 1.40 + 1.50 + .60 + .40 = 3.905

As states amend their rules and regulations each year, SoldFast will continue to reevaluate our formula to best represent all the complex elements of rental property law. Through emerging patterns or sudden shifts, we can better understand what drives the markets and people behind them.