Welcome to The Tenure View, Across the country, cities are revisiting one of housing’s oldest debates: should rents be capped or should we simply build more homes? As rents rise faster than wages and vacancies stay tight, rent control is back in the headlines—from New York City’s “Freeze the Rent” campaign to California’s latest affordability laws.

The question isn’t just about economics; it’s about what kind of housing future cities like Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco are building. Rent control can offer immediate stability for tenants, but it can also freeze supply. Meanwhile, building more housing can help in the long run—but only if it’s built where people actually live and work.

Economists and tenant advocates often agree on one thing: rents are too high. But how to fix that divides nearly everyone else.

📊 Data Callout:

In New York, Democratic mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has proposed a four-year rent freeze, arguing that “millions of tenants deserve stability.” Yet experts warn that controlling rent without increasing supply can backfire.

Recent studies back this up. In San Francisco, rent control enacted in 1994 led many landlords to convert rentals into condos, shrinking the rental supply. A 2019 paper found the policy inadvertently contributed to gentrification—protecting some tenants while making the city less affordable overall.

Still, supporters say rent control remains vital in dense markets like Los Angeles, where the housing shortage is so deep that even modest relief matters. “Rent stabilization works in concert with other tenant protections,” said Marie Claire Tran-Leung of the National Housing Law Project. “In this environment, protection against landlord retaliation is essential.”

👉 Takeaway: Rent control offers immediate relief but doesn’t address the root cause—too few homes. The healthiest markets blend both: steady rent limits and a steady construction pipeline.

Los Angeles County is testing what happens when local governments try to tackle affordability from multiple angles.

This month, the LA County Board of Supervisors declared an emergency over federal immigration raids, paving the way for an eviction moratorium for renters financially affected by those raids. Supervisors said fear and job disruptions could push thousands into housing insecurity.

Meanwhile, funding from Measure A, the new countywide homelessness sales tax, is starting to flow to all 88 cities. The measure will generate $1 billion annually, including $96 million for direct city-level homelessness programs.

📊 Funding Snapshot:

But smaller cities say the funding formula feels uneven. “Our residents are paying far more than what’s coming back,” said Santa Clarita’s community preservation manager Tracey Sullivan.

👉 Our take: Measure A represents a major step toward local accountability, but the debate shows just how complex “building more housing” becomes in a region already dense, expensive, and politically fragmented.

California’s latest wave of housing legislation aims to make renting fairer and more livable, even as larger affordability challenges persist.

AB 628 – Basic Appliances for Rentals
Starting January 1, 2026, landlords must provide a working refrigerator and stove in every rental unit. Previously, these were considered “amenities,” leaving renters to buy or move their own. The law, authored by Assemblymember Tina McKinnor, ensures that “landlords can’t rent an apartment without a fridge, just like they can’t rent one without hot water.”

AB 246 – Benefit Delay Protections
This new law prevents evictions when tenants temporarily lose or delay Social Security payments. Renters can pause eviction proceedings for up to six months until benefits are restored — a key safeguard for seniors and disabled tenants.

📊 Fast Fact:

👉 Our take: These new laws don’t solve affordability alone, but they reduce the “hidden penalties” of being a renter — like having to buy your own fridge or facing eviction due to administrative delays.

Nationally, the story is one of imbalance: demand easing, but not enough supply.

📉 Rental Price Trends (Sept 2025)

Cities like Denver and Austin demonstrate what happens when new construction catches up: rents fall, vacancies rise, and renters finally get options.

By contrast, places with limited land or strict zoning—like Los Angeles and New York—see the opposite: soaring prices and little mobility.

👉 Our take: The evidence suggests that when supply expands meaningfully, rents stabilize. But in dense, high-demand markets, supply alone won’t do it—renter protections still matter.

Local tenant advocates in LA are urging leaders to blend solutions, not pick sides. Groups like the Los Angeles Tenants Union and the Housing Is a Human Right Coalition argue that rent control, eviction defense, and new construction can coexist if policy aligns incentives correctly.

“We need both protection and production,” one advocate said at a recent rally. “Stability keeps people housed, and supply keeps prices honest.”

If you live in Los Angeles County:

Small steps now can protect you when new policies take effect.

Rent control and housing construction are often pitted against each other — but in truth, cities need both. Rent stabilization protects people today; housing production ensures affordability tomorrow.

Los Angeles and other dense metros can’t freeze their way out of the crisis, but they also can’t build their way out overnight. Balanced, data-driven policy — combining limits, incentives, and protections — is the only path forward.

Until that balance is found, renters will continue to feel the squeeze between policy debate and monthly due date.

Over the last 6 years, home insurance rates have increased by up to 76% in some states. Between inflation, costlier repairs, and extreme weather, premiums are climbing fast – but that doesn’t mean you have to overpay. Many homeowners are saving hundreds a year by switching providers. Check out Money’s home insurance tool to compare companies and see if you can save.

Compare coverage