STATE
SCORE
NOTES
No rent control; relatively clear landlord-tenant law; good job & population growth; moderate taxes; fiscally sound. Strong “sleep at night” market for small owners. (Tax Foundation) Pro landlord, strong inbound migration (though cooling), simpler compliance, reasonable property & income tax. Good long-term holds for SFH/duplexes. (Tax Foundation) Repeal of city residential rental tax from 1/1/25 boosts net cash flow and reduces admin. (AZ Department of Revenue). Growing but normalizing demand; laws remain relatively owner-friendly. Great for smaller portfolios if you watch local oversupply. No income tax, strong fiscal position, minimal regulation. Small, thin markets—excellent if you’re local or very selective, but not plug-and-play for everyone. (Tax Foundation) Generally landlord friendly, benefited from migration; modest taxes. Some political/affordability noise, but still simple enough for mom-and-pops who buy right. No income tax; new “junk fee”/disclosure rules (AB 121-style reforms) mean cleaner paperwork but not true rent control. Good overall, but small owners must tighten documentation and prepare for cyclical rents in Vegas/Reno. (World Population Review) Strong jobs & demand; but increasing local regulation (Denver/Boulder- type rules), and political drift toward more tenant protections. Fine for small owners who can keep up with city/county specifics; less “effortless” than UT/AZ/ID. No income tax; niche, volatile markets; demand is very location-specific. Reasonable for hands-on local mom-and-pops; not ideal for remote passive owners. Costs reasonable; demand improving in select metros; some tilt toward stronger tenant protections and weaker overall economy/fiscal profile. Selective holds in better submarkets only. New statewide rent cap (HB 1217) now directly hits small landlords, including many SFHs: capped annual increases (7%+CPI or 10%, lower for some), notice and fee rules, AG enforcement. (Washington State Legislature) Strong job centers help, but regulatory missteps are costly for mom-and- pops with no in-house counsel. Statewide cap (7%+CPI, max 10%) plus detailed notice rules. (LeaseRunner) Layer on local quirks (esp. Portland). Rents and population are softer than peak. Doable for careful owners with strong equity; stressful for casual small operators. AB 1482 rent cap + just cause, local rent control layers, strict deposit rules (with nuanced carve-outs for very small owners), plus high state income tax and ongoing out-migration. (Hoffman & Forde) Fantastic if you have long-held basis in A+ locations; for typical mom-and-pop with 1–4 units, compliance risk + tax drag make “hold vs. 1031 out” a live conversation. High costs, political scrutiny of landlords & tourism housing, slower growth; complex and risky for small owners unless the asset is truly unique with low leverage.
9.1
Utah
8.9
Idaho
8.7
Arizona
8.5
Wyoming
8.0
Montana
7.9
Nevada
7.3
Colorado
6.9
Alaska
6.4
New Mexico
5.2
Washington
5.0
Oregon
4.3
California
3.9
Hawaii
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