Landlord-Friendly States Ranked for 2026: A Scored Methodology

Landlord-Friendly States Ranked for 2026: A Scored Methodology

Updated July 30 2026

Griffin Funding scored all 50 states and Washington, D.C. across six statute-based factors, from rent control and eviction speed to the property taxes landlords actually pay, and published the math. Utah tops the list at 98, Idaho sits second at 96, and Texas holds the top tier by a single point. Here’s the full 2026 ranking and the methodology behind it.

2026 Landlord-Friendliness Index: At a Glance

  • Most landlord-friendly: Utah stands alone at the top of the 2026 index at 98 of 100, with Idaho second at 96, the two separated only by how they tax rentals: Utah’s residential exemption follows the tenant, while Idaho’s homeowner’s exemption dies the day the property becomes a rental.
  • Most tenant-protective: New York and Washington, D.C. (tied, 13 of 100), with California, New Jersey, and Washington completing the bottom five.
  • The surprise: Texas ranks 14th, not 1st. Its 1.40% effective property tax rate, the highest in the landlord-friendly tier, costs it the crown.
  • The method: six statute-based factors, disclosed weights, every score checkable against the law it cites. Jump to the full table.

 

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Written by Bill Lyons