1. Rational Eviction: How Landlords Use Evictions in Response to Rent Control
- Author:
- Eilidh Geddes and Nicole Holz
- Publication Date:
- 07-2023
- Content Type:
- Policy Brief
- Institution:
- The Cato Institute
- Abstract:
- As housing prices rise, cities are turning to rent control policies, hoping to ensure longterm affordable housing. Typically, rent control policies require leases to be renewed at statutorily limited rent increases. Rent control policies reduce the returns from operating in the rental market, creating well‐studied incentives for landlords to leave the rental market. Many rent control policies—including San Francisco’s—feature vacancy decontrol provisions, which allow landlords to reset rents to market rates when tenants move. These policies limit the reductions in returns to operating in the rental market but create incentives for landlords to induce tenant turnover, possibly through evictions. The more tenants move, the more often a landlord can raise rents to market rates.
- Topic:
- Markets, Economy, Eviction, Housing, and Rent
- Political Geography:
- North America and United States of America