Rent Control
Definition of "Rent control"
“What is Rent Control?”, you ask.
Rent Control is how some governmental policies that prevent the Landlord from abusively raising the rent are called in the real estate world.
"Rent control in NYC!" is how TV producers excuse themselves when asked how those twenty-something sitcom characters – like the ones on “Friends” - are able to afford to live in such huge apartments. But because of the omnipresent Rent Control in NYC broadcasted by Television and Movies, many people think that the whole country has it and that is not true. Not every state has rent control laws. And the ones that do, normally don’t impose those regulations over every single rental property. Rent Control is usually a tool against gentrification used only in communities where the demand for housing is too high - like NYC.
A Landlord with a house (or an apartment) under those rent laws basically has determined by the government when (and by how much) he/she can increase a Tenant's rent. This prevents the Tenants from having a bitter surprise when the time comes for the contract renewal.
Note: the Landlord is not stuck forever with the Tenant. He/She can reach out to the market and find a new Tenant willing to pay his/her overpriced rent, sure. However, he/she will have a hard time finding this new Tenant, because other properties in that same area are not costing as much, thanks to those governmental policies. If the new Tenant knows this, he/she will probably negotiate around that. Also, hopefully, the current Tenant will have done a good job on his/her rental contract and will have made a clause where he/she has the right to cover the offer and/or other tactics to keep himself/herself inside that property.
Real Estate Secrets:
Get smart with our Glossary Terms! Search away and learn hundreds of real estate words!
Want to find the best Rent Control properties? Find a specialized agent on The Official Real Estate Agent Directory®
Popular Real Estate Terms
Same as term Veterans Administration Mortgage: Mortgage guaranteed up to 30 years by the Veterans Administration to veterans meeting minimum requirements. Originally established by the ...
Tenant that stays in the leased property after the expiration date if the lease. He can be evicted or given a new rental agreement. ...
Created by the US Congress in 1965, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is the agency principally responsible for federal programs relating to housing and urban ...
Regulatory rules that have to be followed by the organization in conducting its activities. ...
Same as term real estate investment trust (REIT): Type of investment company that invests money in mortgages and various types of investment in real estate, in order to earn profits for ...
Small piece of carpet often placed under a door or at an entrance to a doorway. ...
In real estate, the term "preamble" refers to an introductory statement that outlines the fundamental principles and goals guiding the industry's practices. Specifically, in the National ...
Appearing in person. In propria personal is a formal judicial request to appear personally before the court to plead a particular matter. While it does not prevent an individual from ...
Tax assessed on a transfer of property made without adequate legal consideration. This tax is based on the appraised value of the property at the time of transfer.Also, gifts of property ...
Have a question or comment?
We're here to help.