The Tenant Protection Index

Methodology

This index is an original dataset, computed at build time from our own security deposit pages, one per state. We score security deposit law because it is the tenant topic we cover for all 50 states, and it is the rule renters search for most. Every input is a real statutory field. The point weights are our editorial model, and we publish them here so you can judge them.

Each state earns points on five factors, for a raw total out of 12, then normalized to a 0 to 100 score.

Deposit cap, up to 3 points. A cap of one month earns 3, a cap of two months earns 2, a higher cap earns 1, and a state with no statutory cap earns 0 because the lease sets the amount.

Return deadline, up to 3 points. Fourteen days or fewer earns 3, up to 21 days earns 2, up to 30 days earns 1, and anything longer or with no fixed deadline earns 0.

Wrongful-withholding penalty, up to 2 points. A statute that provides multiple damages, such as double or triple the deposit, earns 2. Any other statutory penalty earns 1, and none earns 0.

Interest on the deposit, up to 2 points. Required earns 2, conditional earns 1, and not required earns 0. The same scale applies to the fifth factor, an escrow or separate account, also up to 2 points.

A higher score means the statute leans further toward the tenant on these five rules. It is not a measure of a state overall, and it does not cover every housing protection. We publish the whole table and link every state to its full deposit guide, each cited to the statute, so you can check our work. Itemization is required in nearly every state, so we leave it out of the score to avoid flattening the ranking.