ABA Family Legal Guide

Renting Residential Property

Other Issues

Rent Control

Has there ever been nationwide rent control in the United States?

Nationwide rent controls existed during World War II. President Nixon also imposed rent controls in 1971 during the initial phase of the effort to control inflation.

All public housing has rent control by definition, because the government sets the rent level for each tenant. Privately owned rental housing in which the government gives some special subsidy to the developer or landlord has rent control because the landlord must secure the approval of the government before raising rents. Most privately owned rental housing is subject to rent control only if the local or state government has passed a rent control ordinance or statute.