Prop Hound
Tenant-Friendly vs. Landlord-Friendly States
Where you buy changes how hard it is to manage, especially if you won't be there in person. Confirm these for the specific state and city you're buying in, don't assume from a general reputation.
- Checked this state's eviction timeline.
- Checked rent control or rent-increase limits for this specific city.
- Checked the security deposit cap and how fast it has to be returned.
- Checked notice requirements for entry, lease changes, and non-renewal.
- Weighed this state's landlord-friendliness against my own risk tolerance before committing to the market.
- If tenant-friendly, confirmed I have a property manager who knows these rules cold.
How to use this checklist
Work through it top to bottom for the specific property or market you’re looking at, and don’t mark an item done until you’ve confirmed it yourself or heard it from someone you trust. If an item doesn’t apply, write down why, since the reason is often the thing you want to remember when you compare it against the next property. Keep your answers somewhere you can find them, such as a note per property. It is general information, not tax, legal or financial advice, so check anything high-stakes with a qualified professional. You can also print this page or get the PDF in the First-Time Investor Toolkit.
Longer read: Tenant-friendly vs landlord-friendly states, state by state.
More rental investing checklists
- The Market Selection Checklist
- Financing Options Rundown
- The Out-of-State Investing Checklist
- Canadians Investing in US Property Checklist
- The Deal Analysis Checklist
- The Property Walkthrough Checklist
- The Offer Submission Checklist
- Working With an Inspector
- Buying an Occupied Rental Checklist
- Closing Day Checklist
This checklist covers one step. We check new listings every night.
Prop Hound screens new rental listings in your market against your own numbers, so you only see the ones worth running a checklist like this on.