rent control

American

noun

government control over the amount of rent charged, as for housing.

rent control British

noun

regulation by law of the rent a landlord can charge for domestic accommodation and of his right to evict tenants

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

rent-controlled adjective

Etymology

Origin of rent control

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

New long-term measures will allow ministers to designate parts of the country as rent control areas by 2027.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

He later took ownership of that property, but said he sold it last year for fear rent control would return.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

The city of Los Angeles just tightened its rent control.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 20, 2026

Three decades ago the state passed a law that prohibited local governments from applying rent control to single-family homes and apartments built after 1995.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 16, 2025

But the couple saw through her ruse to get around rent control.

From "The Joy Luck Club" by Amy Tan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023