rent control

American  

noun

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

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rent control British  

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

• rent-controlled adjective

Etymology

Origin of rent control

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

The economic law of supply and demand is simple enough, but Los Angeles is defying it again by tightening its rent control law in the name of housing affordability.

From The Wall Street Journal

Nearly all economists agree that rent control discourages housing investment and reduces supply.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

Appeared in the November 13, 2025, print edition as 'Rent Control as a Constitutional Taking'.

From The Wall Street Journal

Rent control shrinks the housing supply.

From The Wall Street Journal