Rent Control: Key Policy Components and Their Equity Implications

Overview

The shortage of affordable, accessible, and high-quality rental units in the United States has heightened economic and racial disparities. Rent control policies, aimed at addressing these issues, remain controversial, with differing views on whether they effectively provide housing for low-income renters and renters of color. Critics argue that the benefits of rent control may not reach the populations most in need of affordable housing. This brief by Stacy et al. synthesizes academic literature, news articles, document reviews, and interviews with 23 housing stakeholders, including advocates, policymakers, landlords, and developers, to outline key components of rent control and its equity implications.

Key Findings

• Landlords and for-profit developers are skeptical about rent control’s ability to improve affordability for low-income renters, while tenant advocates and housing researchers argue policy loopholes or weak regulations are to blame for its shortcomings. They also feel that an underappreciated benefit of rent control is its ability to help balance power between landlords and tenants.

• Effective program implementation, enforcement, and tracking are essential for achieving equitable outcomes for tenants.

  • Administration & Enforcement: Many rent control programs rely on tenants to file complaints for enforcement, although some cities have administrative bodies in place.

  • Education & Program Tracking: Workshops for small landlords and tenants can help clarify complex regulations. Data tracking on landlords, rent levels, and rent-controlled buildings also eases administrative burdens for both parties.

• Enacting rent control in tandem with supply-side policy solutions, such as reducing exclusionary zoning and land-use policies, can help address fears of zoning-induced displacement and lead to better place-based planning.

Implications for Policy and Practice

Tenant advocates and organizers are pushing for new rent control policies and the repeal of state-level restrictions. Despite extensive study in cities like New York and San Francisco, there is limited data on the long-term effects of rent control reforms. Additionally, few studies have examined how these reforms affect housing supply and access for people of color and low-income renters across different jurisdictions. Understanding these impacts is critical for shaping future rent control policies and ensuring they promote housing equity.