How Does Rent Control Work?

Only four states have areas in which rent control ordinances have been put into place: California, Maryland, New Jersey and New York. If you don’t live in one of those areas, you don’t have a rent control ordinance in place as of this writing.

The point of rent control ordinances, also known as rent stabilization, maximum rent regulation; is to limit how much rent can be raised. The laws usually are there to protect renters from a landlord that wants to jack up rates, so in order for them to do so they must have a “legal or just cause” for the increase or termination.

The laws vary, even within the states listed, so you’ll have to dig deeper for the specific laws in your area.