Rent control

Rent control is a category of local laws that cap the rate at which a landlord can raise rent on covered units. The specifics vary enormously: some jurisdictions cap annual increases to a fixed percentage, others tie increases to the local CPI, others let rent reset to market between tenancies ("vacancy decontrol"), still others freeze rent across tenancies ("strict rent control"). A few states preempt local rent control entirely.

Rent control is almost always paired with "just cause" eviction protections — the landlord can’t simply not renew the lease to clear out a long-term tenant and reset to market rent. Reasons for non-renewal must be drawn from a closed list (non-payment, violation of lease, owner move-in, withdrawal of unit from the rental market).

Not every unit is covered. Common exemptions include single-family homes, condos, units built after a certain date, units owned by small landlords, and units that have been substantially renovated. Whether a unit is covered usually requires looking it up — many cities maintain searchable rent-control registries.

Rent stabilization is a related but distinct regime, common in New York City. Stabilized units are often subject to different annual increase caps and different decontrol rules than rent-controlled units. Treat the two terms as different — what counts as "rent control" depends on the local statute.