Most Landlord-Friendly States (2026)
Data updated April 2026 · Top 25 of 50 states
Ranked by our landlord-friendliness composite — rent control status, eviction timeline, security-deposit caps, and notice requirements in each state's statutes (2026 review). Arkansas tops the list at 85/100. Friendly law doesn't make a bad deal good, but tenant-friendly law makes your worst case worse: budget eviction timelines accordingly.
| # | State | Landlord Score | Median Home Value | Median Rent | Rent / Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arkansas | 85/100 | $222,299 | $982/mo | 5.3% |
| 2 | Mississippi | 85/100 | $194,242 | $990/mo | 6.1% |
| 3 | Alabama | 82/100 | $236,704 | $1,077/mo | 5.5% |
| 4 | Indiana | 82/100 | $256,583 | $1,104/mo | 5.2% |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 82/100 | $221,764 | $1,044/mo | 5.6% |
| 6 | Tennessee | 82/100 | $334,074 | $1,284/mo | 4.6% |
| 7 | Texas | 82/100 | $302,187 | $1,475/mo | 5.9% |
| 8 | Arizona | 80/100 | $423,745 | $1,672/mo | 4.7% |
| 9 | Georgia | 80/100 | $333,559 | $1,506/mo | 5.4% |
| 10 | Missouri | 80/100 | $265,397 | $1,067/mo | 4.8% |
| 11 | North Carolina | 80/100 | $337,272 | $1,338/mo | 4.8% |
| 12 | South Carolina | 80/100 | $305,173 | $1,272/mo | 5.0% |
| 13 | South Dakota | 80/100 | $319,254 | $999/mo | 3.8% |
| 14 | Florida | 78/100 | $376,504 | $1,812/mo | 5.8% |
| 15 | Kentucky | 78/100 | $232,231 | $998/mo | 5.2% |
| 16 | North Dakota | 78/100 | $286,406 | $980/mo | 4.1% |
| 17 | Wyoming | 78/100 | $363,684 | $998/mo | 3.3% |
| 18 | Idaho | 75/100 | $477,506 | $1,384/mo | 3.5% |
| 19 | Utah | 75/100 | $540,992 | $1,593/mo | 3.5% |
| 20 | Louisiana | 74/100 | $214,727 | $1,064/mo | 5.9% |
| 21 | Kansas | 72/100 | $246,369 | $1,079/mo | 5.3% |
| 22 | Nebraska | 72/100 | $279,080 | $1,102/mo | 4.7% |
| 23 | Iowa | 70/100 | $234,891 | $981/mo | 5.0% |
| 24 | Montana | 70/100 | $467,919 | $1,177/mo | 3.0% |
| 25 | West Virginia | 70/100 | $174,876 | $883/mo | 6.1% |
Frequently asked questions
How is this state ranking calculated?
Ranked by our landlord-friendliness composite — rent control status, eviction timeline, security-deposit caps, and notice requirements in each state's statutes (2026 review). Full sources and refresh cadence are on our methodology page; data is refreshed when Zillow and Census publish updates.
What is a good rent-to-price ratio?
The median U.S. state sits at 4.6% annual rent-to-price (April 2026). The old "1% rule" (monthly rent ≥ 1% of price, i.e. 12% annual) is rare in today's market — most investors treat anything meaningfully above the median as cash-flow territory and verify with a full expense model.
About this data: compiled by RehabRange from Zillow Research (ZHVI home values, ZORI rents), U.S. Census Bureau (ACS population and income, Building Permits Survey), Bureau of Labor Statistics (unemployment), FBI Crime Data Explorer, FEMA, and Tax Foundation. Last updated April 2026.
RehabRange is built by Mitchell Haughton, a practicing eastern-Connecticut real estate investor — the same screens he runs before walking a property. How we rank markets