Investors Steering Clear Of Maryland Suburbs Due To Regulatory Concerns

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not “Maryland Suburbs” it’s Montgomery County. And it’s not “regulatory concerns” it’s rent control.

It has nothing to do with the new law limiting rent increases. That law exempts new/recent construction.

Actually the rent control law is a large part of the problem.

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2025/09/19/more-evidence-that-rent-control-is-preventing-housing-construction/

Yup.

Parts of the rest of Maryland also have rent control! Within Montgomery County, Rockville and Gaithersburg don’t have rent control. If this market were ripe for more multifamily, permitting would be through the roof in those places because they’re the only places in the county you can build rentals without rent control (23 years from now).

Rents have fallen in Montgomery County since the rent control regulations have taken effect. That’s a hard fact for those opposed to it. Was that all rent control? Of course not. In that time, more landlords settled price fixing cases with the government, and the local economy has weakened. But rent control is a part of the story because it banned very high rent increases, which were distorting the average rent statistics.

Rent control has probably also helped force landlords make repairs because of special restrictions on rent increases at troubled properties. Invariably; the landlords screaming the loudest about the law have troubled properties or near-troubled properties. They’re not good actors in the market. If your business plan depends on annual rent increases exceeding 6 percent a year, you never were going to build enough housing to make prices go down.

I was a skeptic of the county’s rent control law when it was introduced but the landlords have proven it necessary and time has proven it effective.

For this to be true, economists everywhere must be wrong. Rent control is negative in the long term. It was just passed, so even if your facts are true (I have no idea if they are) it is way too early to declare victory.

Not economists everywhere. Just the ones you choose to read. The other factor is that rent control isn’t binary. The policies differ.

For the other poster, Rockville and Gaithersburg have to pass their own laws. They haven’t done that.

Rent control has done better so far than 20 years of supply side policy.

Where has rent control been a success?

Montgomery County.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Raise taxes on SFH and let the market sort itself out.

Raise taxes on one type of housing and let the "market" sort itself out? Did you really write that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not “Maryland Suburbs” it’s Montgomery County. And it’s not “regulatory concerns” it’s rent control.

It has nothing to do with the new law limiting rent increases. That law exempts new/recent construction.

Actually the rent control law is a large part of the problem.

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2025/09/19/more-evidence-that-rent-control-is-preventing-housing-construction/

Yup.

Parts of the rest of Maryland also have rent control! Within Montgomery County, Rockville and Gaithersburg don’t have rent control. If this market were ripe for more multifamily, permitting would be through the roof in those places because they’re the only places in the county you can build rentals without rent control (23 years from now).

Rents have fallen in Montgomery County since the rent control regulations have taken effect. That’s a hard fact for those opposed to it. Was that all rent control? Of course not. In that time, more landlords settled price fixing cases with the government, and the local economy has weakened. But rent control is a part of the story because it banned very high rent increases, which were distorting the average rent statistics.

Rent control has probably also helped force landlords make repairs because of special restrictions on rent increases at troubled properties. Invariably; the landlords screaming the loudest about the law have troubled properties or near-troubled properties. They’re not good actors in the market. If your business plan depends on annual rent increases exceeding 6 percent a year, you never were going to build enough housing to make prices go down.

I was a skeptic of the county’s rent control law when it was introduced but the landlords have proven it necessary and time has proven it effective.

For this to be true, economists everywhere must be wrong. Rent control is negative in the long term. It was just passed, so even if your facts are true (I have no idea if they are) it is way too early to declare victory.

Not economists everywhere. Just the ones you choose to read. The other factor is that rent control isn’t binary. The policies differ.

For the other poster, Rockville and Gaithersburg have to pass their own laws. They haven’t done that.

Rent control has done better so far than 20 years of supply side policy.

Where has rent control been a success?

Montgomery County.

+1. If developers no longer want to build multi family housing in Montgomery county, that’s a huge success.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not “Maryland Suburbs” it’s Montgomery County. And it’s not “regulatory concerns” it’s rent control.

It has nothing to do with the new law limiting rent increases. That law exempts new/recent construction.

Actually the rent control law is a large part of the problem.

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2025/09/19/more-evidence-that-rent-control-is-preventing-housing-construction/

Yup.

Parts of the rest of Maryland also have rent control! Within Montgomery County, Rockville and Gaithersburg don’t have rent control. If this market were ripe for more multifamily, permitting would be through the roof in those places because they’re the only places in the county you can build rentals without rent control (23 years from now).

Rents have fallen in Montgomery County since the rent control regulations have taken effect. That’s a hard fact for those opposed to it. Was that all rent control? Of course not. In that time, more landlords settled price fixing cases with the government, and the local economy has weakened. But rent control is a part of the story because it banned very high rent increases, which were distorting the average rent statistics.

Rent control has probably also helped force landlords make repairs because of special restrictions on rent increases at troubled properties. Invariably; the landlords screaming the loudest about the law have troubled properties or near-troubled properties. They’re not good actors in the market. If your business plan depends on annual rent increases exceeding 6 percent a year, you never were going to build enough housing to make prices go down.

I was a skeptic of the county’s rent control law when it was introduced but the landlords have proven it necessary and time has proven it effective.

For this to be true, economists everywhere must be wrong. Rent control is negative in the long term. It was just passed, so even if your facts are true (I have no idea if they are) it is way too early to declare victory.

Not economists everywhere. Just the ones you choose to read. The other factor is that rent control isn’t binary. The policies differ.

For the other poster, Rockville and Gaithersburg have to pass their own laws. They haven’t done that.

Rent control has done better so far than 20 years of supply side policy.

Where has rent control been a success?

Montgomery County.

+1. If developers no longer want to build multi family housing in Montgomery county, that’s a huge success.

More importantly, rents are falling. Falling rents is the best reason of all that developers don’t want to build multi family housing in Montgomery County.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not “Maryland Suburbs” it’s Montgomery County. And it’s not “regulatory concerns” it’s rent control.

It has nothing to do with the new law limiting rent increases. That law exempts new/recent construction.

Actually the rent control law is a large part of the problem.

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2025/09/19/more-evidence-that-rent-control-is-preventing-housing-construction/

Yup.

Parts of the rest of Maryland also have rent control! Within Montgomery County, Rockville and Gaithersburg don’t have rent control. If this market were ripe for more multifamily, permitting would be through the roof in those places because they’re the only places in the county you can build rentals without rent control (23 years from now).

Rents have fallen in Montgomery County since the rent control regulations have taken effect. That’s a hard fact for those opposed to it. Was that all rent control? Of course not. In that time, more landlords settled price fixing cases with the government, and the local economy has weakened. But rent control is a part of the story because it banned very high rent increases, which were distorting the average rent statistics.

Rent control has probably also helped force landlords make repairs because of special restrictions on rent increases at troubled properties. Invariably; the landlords screaming the loudest about the law have troubled properties or near-troubled properties. They’re not good actors in the market. If your business plan depends on annual rent increases exceeding 6 percent a year, you never were going to build enough housing to make prices go down.

I was a skeptic of the county’s rent control law when it was introduced but the landlords have proven it necessary and time has proven it effective.

For this to be true, economists everywhere must be wrong. Rent control is negative in the long term. It was just passed, so even if your facts are true (I have no idea if they are) it is way too early to declare victory.

Not economists everywhere. Just the ones you choose to read. The other factor is that rent control isn’t binary. The policies differ.

For the other poster, Rockville and Gaithersburg have to pass their own laws. They haven’t done that.

Rent control has done better so far than 20 years of supply side policy.

Where has rent control been a success?

Montgomery County.

+1. If developers no longer want to build multi family housing in Montgomery county, that’s a huge success.

More importantly, rents are falling. Falling rents is the best reason of all that developers don’t want to build multi family housing in Montgomery County.

Falling rents would explain a decrease, not a halt.

Seriously, though- can anyone point to an example where they think rent control is working well?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not “Maryland Suburbs” it’s Montgomery County. And it’s not “regulatory concerns” it’s rent control.

It has nothing to do with the new law limiting rent increases. That law exempts new/recent construction.

Actually the rent control law is a large part of the problem.

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2025/09/19/more-evidence-that-rent-control-is-preventing-housing-construction/

Yup.

Parts of the rest of Maryland also have rent control! Within Montgomery County, Rockville and Gaithersburg don’t have rent control. If this market were ripe for more multifamily, permitting would be through the roof in those places because they’re the only places in the county you can build rentals without rent control (23 years from now).

Rents have fallen in Montgomery County since the rent control regulations have taken effect. That’s a hard fact for those opposed to it. Was that all rent control? Of course not. In that time, more landlords settled price fixing cases with the government, and the local economy has weakened. But rent control is a part of the story because it banned very high rent increases, which were distorting the average rent statistics.

Rent control has probably also helped force landlords make repairs because of special restrictions on rent increases at troubled properties. Invariably; the landlords screaming the loudest about the law have troubled properties or near-troubled properties. They’re not good actors in the market. If your business plan depends on annual rent increases exceeding 6 percent a year, you never were going to build enough housing to make prices go down.

I was a skeptic of the county’s rent control law when it was introduced but the landlords have proven it necessary and time has proven it effective.

For this to be true, economists everywhere must be wrong. Rent control is negative in the long term. It was just passed, so even if your facts are true (I have no idea if they are) it is way too early to declare victory.

Not economists everywhere. Just the ones you choose to read. The other factor is that rent control isn’t binary. The policies differ.

For the other poster, Rockville and Gaithersburg have to pass their own laws. They haven’t done that.

Rent control has done better so far than 20 years of supply side policy.

Where has rent control been a success?

Montgomery County.

+1. If developers no longer want to build multi family housing in Montgomery county, that’s a huge success.

More importantly, rents are falling. Falling rents is the best reason of all that developers don’t want to build multi family housing in Montgomery County.

Falling rents would explain a decrease, not a halt.

Seriously, though- can anyone point to an example where they think rent control is working well?

Can you define "working well"? This thread is about an article indicating that rent control has led to less multifamily housing development, and many people in this thread have indicated that this means rent control is "working well." It sounds like you have a different definition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not “Maryland Suburbs” it’s Montgomery County. And it’s not “regulatory concerns” it’s rent control.

It has nothing to do with the new law limiting rent increases. That law exempts new/recent construction.

Actually the rent control law is a large part of the problem.

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2025/09/19/more-evidence-that-rent-control-is-preventing-housing-construction/

Yup.

Parts of the rest of Maryland also have rent control! Within Montgomery County, Rockville and Gaithersburg don’t have rent control. If this market were ripe for more multifamily, permitting would be through the roof in those places because they’re the only places in the county you can build rentals without rent control (23 years from now).

Rents have fallen in Montgomery County since the rent control regulations have taken effect. That’s a hard fact for those opposed to it. Was that all rent control? Of course not. In that time, more landlords settled price fixing cases with the government, and the local economy has weakened. But rent control is a part of the story because it banned very high rent increases, which were distorting the average rent statistics.

Rent control has probably also helped force landlords make repairs because of special restrictions on rent increases at troubled properties. Invariably; the landlords screaming the loudest about the law have troubled properties or near-troubled properties. They’re not good actors in the market. If your business plan depends on annual rent increases exceeding 6 percent a year, you never were going to build enough housing to make prices go down.

I was a skeptic of the county’s rent control law when it was introduced but the landlords have proven it necessary and time has proven it effective.

For this to be true, economists everywhere must be wrong. Rent control is negative in the long term. It was just passed, so even if your facts are true (I have no idea if they are) it is way too early to declare victory.

Not economists everywhere. Just the ones you choose to read. The other factor is that rent control isn’t binary. The policies differ.

For the other poster, Rockville and Gaithersburg have to pass their own laws. They haven’t done that.

Rent control has done better so far than 20 years of supply side policy.

Where has rent control been a success?

Montgomery County.

+1. If developers no longer want to build multi family housing in Montgomery county, that’s a huge success.

More importantly, rents are falling. Falling rents is the best reason of all that developers don’t want to build multi family housing in Montgomery County.

Falling rents would explain a decrease, not a halt.

Seriously, though- can anyone point to an example where they think rent control is working well?

Can you define "working well"? This thread is about an article indicating that rent control has led to less multifamily housing development, and many people in this thread have indicated that this means rent control is "working well." It sounds like you have a different definition.

“Working well” means rents have fallen since the regulations came into force. The main point of supply side housing policy — as articulated by its supporters — has been to lower housing costs. Rents have fallen more since the regulations came into force than they have in all the years of supply side policy.

As for whether production slowing is wholly attributable to rent control or rents falling, it has been this county’s experience that production stops when rents fall. In this case, rents have fallen, vacancy has increased, and unemployment has increased. All of this has happened even as the market continues to deliver more units. No one in their right mind would start a project now with or without rent control.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not “Maryland Suburbs” it’s Montgomery County. And it’s not “regulatory concerns” it’s rent control.

It has nothing to do with the new law limiting rent increases. That law exempts new/recent construction.

Actually the rent control law is a large part of the problem.

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2025/09/19/more-evidence-that-rent-control-is-preventing-housing-construction/

Yup.

Parts of the rest of Maryland also have rent control! Within Montgomery County, Rockville and Gaithersburg don’t have rent control. If this market were ripe for more multifamily, permitting would be through the roof in those places because they’re the only places in the county you can build rentals without rent control (23 years from now).

Rents have fallen in Montgomery County since the rent control regulations have taken effect. That’s a hard fact for those opposed to it. Was that all rent control? Of course not. In that time, more landlords settled price fixing cases with the government, and the local economy has weakened. But rent control is a part of the story because it banned very high rent increases, which were distorting the average rent statistics.

Rent control has probably also helped force landlords make repairs because of special restrictions on rent increases at troubled properties. Invariably; the landlords screaming the loudest about the law have troubled properties or near-troubled properties. They’re not good actors in the market. If your business plan depends on annual rent increases exceeding 6 percent a year, you never were going to build enough housing to make prices go down.

I was a skeptic of the county’s rent control law when it was introduced but the landlords have proven it necessary and time has proven it effective.

For this to be true, economists everywhere must be wrong. Rent control is negative in the long term. It was just passed, so even if your facts are true (I have no idea if they are) it is way too early to declare victory.

Not economists everywhere. Just the ones you choose to read. The other factor is that rent control isn’t binary. The policies differ.

For the other poster, Rockville and Gaithersburg have to pass their own laws. They haven’t done that.

Rent control has done better so far than 20 years of supply side policy.

Where has rent control been a success?

Montgomery County.

+1. If developers no longer want to build multi family housing in Montgomery county, that’s a huge success.

More importantly, rents are falling. Falling rents is the best reason of all that developers don’t want to build multi family housing in Montgomery County.

Falling rents would explain a decrease, not a halt.

Seriously, though- can anyone point to an example where they think rent control is working well?

Can you define "working well"? This thread is about an article indicating that rent control has led to less multifamily housing development, and many people in this thread have indicated that this means rent control is "working well." It sounds like you have a different definition.

“Working well” means rents have fallen since the regulations came into force. The main point of supply side housing policy — as articulated by its supporters — has been to lower housing costs. Rents have fallen more since the regulations came into force than they have in all the years of supply side policy.

As for whether production slowing is wholly attributable to rent control or rents falling, it has been this county’s experience that production stops when rents fall. In this case, rents have fallen, vacancy has increased, and unemployment has increased. All of this has happened even as the market continues to deliver more units. No one in their right mind would start a project now with or without rent control.

But they economic conditions are similar elsewhere, yet other places are still seeing projects move forward. What else is unique to MoCo other than rent control?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not “Maryland Suburbs” it’s Montgomery County. And it’s not “regulatory concerns” it’s rent control.

It has nothing to do with the new law limiting rent increases. That law exempts new/recent construction.

Actually the rent control law is a large part of the problem.

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2025/09/19/more-evidence-that-rent-control-is-preventing-housing-construction/

Yup.

Parts of the rest of Maryland also have rent control! Within Montgomery County, Rockville and Gaithersburg don’t have rent control. If this market were ripe for more multifamily, permitting would be through the roof in those places because they’re the only places in the county you can build rentals without rent control (23 years from now).

Rents have fallen in Montgomery County since the rent control regulations have taken effect. That’s a hard fact for those opposed to it. Was that all rent control? Of course not. In that time, more landlords settled price fixing cases with the government, and the local economy has weakened. But rent control is a part of the story because it banned very high rent increases, which were distorting the average rent statistics.

Rent control has probably also helped force landlords make repairs because of special restrictions on rent increases at troubled properties. Invariably; the landlords screaming the loudest about the law have troubled properties or near-troubled properties. They’re not good actors in the market. If your business plan depends on annual rent increases exceeding 6 percent a year, you never were going to build enough housing to make prices go down.

I was a skeptic of the county’s rent control law when it was introduced but the landlords have proven it necessary and time has proven it effective.

For this to be true, economists everywhere must be wrong. Rent control is negative in the long term. It was just passed, so even if your facts are true (I have no idea if they are) it is way too early to declare victory.

Not economists everywhere. Just the ones you choose to read. The other factor is that rent control isn’t binary. The policies differ.

For the other poster, Rockville and Gaithersburg have to pass their own laws. They haven’t done that.

Rent control has done better so far than 20 years of supply side policy.

Where has rent control been a success?

Montgomery County.

+1. If developers no longer want to build multi family housing in Montgomery county, that’s a huge success.

More importantly, rents are falling. Falling rents is the best reason of all that developers don’t want to build multi family housing in Montgomery County.

Falling rents would explain a decrease, not a halt.

Seriously, though- can anyone point to an example where they think rent control is working well?

Can you define "working well"? This thread is about an article indicating that rent control has led to less multifamily housing development, and many people in this thread have indicated that this means rent control is "working well." It sounds like you have a different definition.

Increasing the supply and lowering the cost of housing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not “Maryland Suburbs” it’s Montgomery County. And it’s not “regulatory concerns” it’s rent control.

It has nothing to do with the new law limiting rent increases. That law exempts new/recent construction.

Actually the rent control law is a large part of the problem.

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2025/09/19/more-evidence-that-rent-control-is-preventing-housing-construction/

Yup.

Parts of the rest of Maryland also have rent control! Within Montgomery County, Rockville and Gaithersburg don’t have rent control. If this market were ripe for more multifamily, permitting would be through the roof in those places because they’re the only places in the county you can build rentals without rent control (23 years from now).

Rents have fallen in Montgomery County since the rent control regulations have taken effect. That’s a hard fact for those opposed to it. Was that all rent control? Of course not. In that time, more landlords settled price fixing cases with the government, and the local economy has weakened. But rent control is a part of the story because it banned very high rent increases, which were distorting the average rent statistics.

Rent control has probably also helped force landlords make repairs because of special restrictions on rent increases at troubled properties. Invariably; the landlords screaming the loudest about the law have troubled properties or near-troubled properties. They’re not good actors in the market. If your business plan depends on annual rent increases exceeding 6 percent a year, you never were going to build enough housing to make prices go down.

I was a skeptic of the county’s rent control law when it was introduced but the landlords have proven it necessary and time has proven it effective.

For this to be true, economists everywhere must be wrong. Rent control is negative in the long term. It was just passed, so even if your facts are true (I have no idea if they are) it is way too early to declare victory.

Not economists everywhere. Just the ones you choose to read. The other factor is that rent control isn’t binary. The policies differ.

For the other poster, Rockville and Gaithersburg have to pass their own laws. They haven’t done that.

Rent control has done better so far than 20 years of supply side policy.

Where has rent control been a success?

Montgomery County.

+1. If developers no longer want to build multi family housing in Montgomery county, that’s a huge success.

More importantly, rents are falling. Falling rents is the best reason of all that developers don’t want to build multi family housing in Montgomery County.

Falling rents would explain a decrease, not a halt.

Seriously, though- can anyone point to an example where they think rent control is working well?

Can you define "working well"? This thread is about an article indicating that rent control has led to less multifamily housing development, and many people in this thread have indicated that this means rent control is "working well." It sounds like you have a different definition.

Increasing the supply and lowering the cost of housing.

20 years of this approach resulted in a housing crisis (YIMBYs’ characterization, not mine). After one year of rent control, rents are lower.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not “Maryland Suburbs” it’s Montgomery County. And it’s not “regulatory concerns” it’s rent control.

It has nothing to do with the new law limiting rent increases. That law exempts new/recent construction.

Actually the rent control law is a large part of the problem.

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2025/09/19/more-evidence-that-rent-control-is-preventing-housing-construction/

Yup.

Parts of the rest of Maryland also have rent control! Within Montgomery County, Rockville and Gaithersburg don’t have rent control. If this market were ripe for more multifamily, permitting would be through the roof in those places because they’re the only places in the county you can build rentals without rent control (23 years from now).

Rents have fallen in Montgomery County since the rent control regulations have taken effect. That’s a hard fact for those opposed to it. Was that all rent control? Of course not. In that time, more landlords settled price fixing cases with the government, and the local economy has weakened. But rent control is a part of the story because it banned very high rent increases, which were distorting the average rent statistics.

Rent control has probably also helped force landlords make repairs because of special restrictions on rent increases at troubled properties. Invariably; the landlords screaming the loudest about the law have troubled properties or near-troubled properties. They’re not good actors in the market. If your business plan depends on annual rent increases exceeding 6 percent a year, you never were going to build enough housing to make prices go down.

I was a skeptic of the county’s rent control law when it was introduced but the landlords have proven it necessary and time has proven it effective.

For this to be true, economists everywhere must be wrong. Rent control is negative in the long term. It was just passed, so even if your facts are true (I have no idea if they are) it is way too early to declare victory.

Not economists everywhere. Just the ones you choose to read. The other factor is that rent control isn’t binary. The policies differ.

For the other poster, Rockville and Gaithersburg have to pass their own laws. They haven’t done that.

Rent control has done better so far than 20 years of supply side policy.

Where has rent control been a success?

Montgomery County.

+1. If developers no longer want to build multi family housing in Montgomery county, that’s a huge success.

More importantly, rents are falling. Falling rents is the best reason of all that developers don’t want to build multi family housing in Montgomery County.

Falling rents would explain a decrease, not a halt.

Seriously, though- can anyone point to an example where they think rent control is working well?

Can you define "working well"? This thread is about an article indicating that rent control has led to less multifamily housing development, and many people in this thread have indicated that this means rent control is "working well." It sounds like you have a different definition.

Increasing the supply and lowering the cost of housing.

20 years of this approach resulted in a housing crisis (YIMBYs’ characterization, not mine). After one year of rent control, rents are lower.

Rents are also lower in jurisdictions without rent control so that doesn’t prove anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s not “Maryland Suburbs” it’s Montgomery County. And it’s not “regulatory concerns” it’s rent control.

It has nothing to do with the new law limiting rent increases. That law exempts new/recent construction.

Actually the rent control law is a large part of the problem.

https://montgomeryperspective.com/2025/09/19/more-evidence-that-rent-control-is-preventing-housing-construction/

Yup.

Parts of the rest of Maryland also have rent control! Within Montgomery County, Rockville and Gaithersburg don’t have rent control. If this market were ripe for more multifamily, permitting would be through the roof in those places because they’re the only places in the county you can build rentals without rent control (23 years from now).

Rents have fallen in Montgomery County since the rent control regulations have taken effect. That’s a hard fact for those opposed to it. Was that all rent control? Of course not. In that time, more landlords settled price fixing cases with the government, and the local economy has weakened. But rent control is a part of the story because it banned very high rent increases, which were distorting the average rent statistics.

Rent control has probably also helped force landlords make repairs because of special restrictions on rent increases at troubled properties. Invariably; the landlords screaming the loudest about the law have troubled properties or near-troubled properties. They’re not good actors in the market. If your business plan depends on annual rent increases exceeding 6 percent a year, you never were going to build enough housing to make prices go down.

I was a skeptic of the county’s rent control law when it was introduced but the landlords have proven it necessary and time has proven it effective.

For this to be true, economists everywhere must be wrong. Rent control is negative in the long term. It was just passed, so even if your facts are true (I have no idea if they are) it is way too early to declare victory.

Not economists everywhere. Just the ones you choose to read. The other factor is that rent control isn’t binary. The policies differ.

For the other poster, Rockville and Gaithersburg have to pass their own laws. They haven’t done that.

Rent control has done better so far than 20 years of supply side policy.

Where has rent control been a success?

Montgomery County.

+1. If developers no longer want to build multi family housing in Montgomery county, that’s a huge success.

More importantly, rents are falling. Falling rents is the best reason of all that developers don’t want to build multi family housing in Montgomery County.

Falling rents would explain a decrease, not a halt.

Seriously, though- can anyone point to an example where they think rent control is working well?

Can you define "working well"? This thread is about an article indicating that rent control has led to less multifamily housing development, and many people in this thread have indicated that this means rent control is "working well." It sounds like you have a different definition.

Increasing the supply and lowering the cost of housing.

20 years of this approach resulted in a housing crisis (YIMBYs’ characterization, not mine). After one year of rent control, rents are lower.

Rents are also lower in jurisdictions without rent control so that doesn’t prove anything.

The pp wasn't being serious.

[Anonymous]

Sounds good to me but nice try, real estate PR team. Nobody wants your cardboard apartments.

[Anonymous]

It's not part of a concerning trend. I'm so tired of Dan Reed and GGW and their endless whiny propaganda. There's plenty of building going on in MoCo.

[Anonymous]

If people are worried about affordable housing, is there anything to be done about the developers in our neighborhood that tear down houses in the 800K range and replace them with ugly monstrous houses that they are trying to charge 2.4M for? When we moved here 15 years ago it was such a nice neighborhood with nice normal houses and every year the new hosing just gets bigger and bigger. I think it’s finally hit a ceiling as the last two houses are just sitting there with no buyers.