Here’s a map showing how states rank on a 0-100 scale of “renter friendliness”. It is brought to you by Rent Café, which I assume is some sort of apartment-finding website.
They have a good list of policies that give more rights to renters, including how long you have to wait to get back a security deposit and how much notice your landlord has to give in order to terminate your lease or raise your rent.
Vermont is the #1 state with a “90” score.
There’s probably a lot more that could be done at the state or city level to make sure renters have more rights in a tight rental market. See also: evictions.