Although considered a liberal bastion, California is far less “tenant friendly” than its blue-state counterparts on the East Coast, a new study found.

According to research co-authored by UC Irvine housing economist Ed Coulson, the state ranked 15th in the nation in terms of tenant protections, behind Delaware, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New York.

Even Alaska, Nebraska, Kentucky and South Dakota have stronger laws shielding renters from evictions, rent hikes and excessive security deposits.

“One might think that coastal blue states might have more tenant friendliness, but that’s not always the case,” said Coulson, director of UCI’s Center for Real Estate. “By our index, California is not even in the top 10.”

The study, which appeared in the May issue of the Journal of Urban Econom

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