The United States has experienced nine weather or climate disasters so far this year that, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The agency also reported that above-normal temperatures were forecast across most of the country this summer. With extreme weather on the rise, people may be wondering which areas are safer than others to find a new home.
A recent study ConsumerAffairs on the best states for potential renters found that Delaware, Rhode Island and Hawaii had the fewest disaster statements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency since 2017; Texas, Louisiana and Georgia had the most. The data was collected from OpenFEMA dataset: disaster statementswhich collects FEMA statements over the years and includes weather and biological disasters and acts of terror.
“Especially as rents continue to rise, tenants value feeling safe and protected under their leases,” said Cassidy McCants, deputy editor-in-chief at ConsumerAffairs.
The study also examined local eviction rates and laws that favor tenants over landlords as safety measures. Vermont, Delaware and Hawaii topped the list for laws that favor tenants over landlords, with Georgia, West Virginia and Arkansas at the bottom.
While Delaware may attract tenants with its lack of FEMA-declared disasters and better laws for tenants, it was one of the three states with the highest eviction rates, along with South Carolina and Vermont. According to the study, the states with the lowest eviction rates were New Mexico, Virginia and Hawaii.
For the analysis of laws that benefit tenants, ConsumerAffairs 2018 survey of Rentcafe that looked at 10 common aspects of the landlord-tenant relationship through the state and the laws that defined it. The study looked at whether tenants were allowed to make repairs and deduct costs from the rent, and whether landlords had deadlines to return deposits.
Ms. McCants praised Hawaii for its tenant protections “despite having one of the most expensive costs of living.”
“From what to do about emergency repairs to how long a landlord needs to notify you before raising or evicting the rent,” she said, “Hawaii ensures tenants and tenants have the security they need.”
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