Landlord-Tenant Laws by State — 2026 Guide

As of 2026, states with statewide rent caps include California (AB 1482: 5% + CPI, max 10%), Oregon (SB 608: 7% + CPI), Washington (HB 1217: 7% + CPI), and New York (Good Cause Eviction: 10% or 5% + CPI). Connecticut passed PA 24-111 with rent stabilization for qualifying buildings. Additionally, many municipalities in New Jersey, Maryland, and Minnesota have local rent control ordinances. The trend is toward more rent regulation, with several other states considering proposals.

California and New York are widely considered the states with the most extensive landlord-tenant regulations. California combines statewide rent caps (AB 1482), just cause eviction requirements, a one-month security deposit limit (AB 12), and numerous mandatory disclosures. New York has statewide rent caps (Good Cause Eviction Law), strict security deposit limits, and NYC rent stabilization covering approximately 1 million apartments. Oregon was the first state to enact statewide rent control (2019) and requires 90-day notice for any rent increase. New Jersey has strong just cause eviction protections and over 100 municipalities with local rent control.

Security deposit limits vary widely by state. Some states have no limit (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Ohio, Texas, and others). States with 1 month limits include California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, New Mexico, New York, and Rhode Island. States allowing 1.5 months include Arizona, Michigan, New Jersey, and North Carolina (week-to-week). States allowing 2 months include Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina (month-to-month), Pennsylvania (first year), and Virginia. Nevada allows the highest at 3 months. Check our individual state pages for current details and any recent changes.

As of 2026, states with statewide just cause eviction requirements include California (for tenancies of 12+ months under AB 1482), New Jersey (under the Anti-Eviction Act), New York (under the Good Cause Eviction Law), Oregon (after the first year of tenancy under SB 608), and Washington (under HB 1217). Several cities in other states also have local just cause ordinances, including Seattle, Portland, and various cities in New Jersey and California.

Landlord-tenant laws vary dramatically between states. Key differences include: Security deposit limits (ranging from no limit to 1 month), deposit return deadlines (14 to 60 days), eviction notice periods for nonpayment (3 to 14 days), whether rent control exists, late fee rules (some states cap fees while others do not), entry notice requirements (12 hours to 48 hours), and whether interest must be paid on security deposits. States like California, New York, and Oregon are highly regulated, while states like Arkansas, South Dakota, and West Virginia have minimal landlord-tenant statutes. Landlords with properties in multiple states must track each state’s requirements individually.