I Investigated Rent Control and Here’s What I Found

Rent control is one of the most hotly debated housing policies in America — but does it actually help renters, or does it make the housing crisis worse? In this video, Alvin Taveras (Founder of Build 2 Rent) breaks down why rent control often fails to deliver on its promises and ends up creating bigger problems for renters and investors alike. We’ll cover: ☑️ Why former NY Governor Andrew Cuomo called out Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani for living in a rent-controlled apartment despite earning a high income ☑️ How rent control discourages landlords from investing in property maintenance and upgrades ☑️ Why developers stop building when rents are artificially capped, shrinking overall housing supply ☑️ How policies create inequality by benefiting long-term tenants (sometimes wealthy ones) while locking out families who actually need affordable housing (think Monica’s apartment in Friends) ☑️ Why some landlords prefer to keep units vacant instead of renting under restrictive laws ☑️ A 2024 Urban Institute study showing rent control reduces total rental units available ☑️ The real-world case study: St. Paul, MN’s rent control rollback after new construction ground to a halt 💡 Takeaway: Rent control may sound like a solution, but in practice it reduces supply, discourages investment, and deepens inequality. If we want real affordability, we ne