Arguments Against Rent Control

643 Words2 Pages

The topic of rent control in Canada has been widely debated by many groups of people. Rent control limits the amount a landlord can charge to a tenant and regulates how much and how often the landlord can increase the price of rent. Most business groups disagree with rent controls while advocacy groups argue for controls on rent. The position against rent controls will say that housing will decrease in quality and quantity when rent controls are implemented, while arguments for rent control say people with low incomes need protection against high increases in the price for rent. There should be limits set to regulate the amount and times a landlord can increase rent per year. These increases are, most times, impractical and impossible for …show more content…

She explains how many people have experienced unaffordable rent increases, sometimes increasing by the hundreds per month. She believes that these increases are unreasonable and unattainable for the average person to be able to afford. I agree with the perspective of the first citizen. Rent control should be an issue handled by the government to prevent these outrageous increases. Landlords need to have regulations to ensure they are not taking advantage of their tenants by increasing their rent by enormous amounts. Rent controls provide long-term security for renters and ensure that lower income households cannot be pushed aside by landlords through eviction. The power landlords have over rent increases can be shifted towards the tenants and give them more control. San Francisco, for example, has rent control laws to protect their tenants from extreme increases. Some major working components of these laws include maximum increases for tenants limited at 10%. Landlords can only increase the price of rent by a set amount per year and all increases must be documented and approved by the Rent Board before they are imposed. As well, tenants can petition for rent decreases if landlords have failed to provide required services such as maintenance of the home. These rent control laws cover the majority of San Francisco and provide security for tenants living

Show More
Related

  • Unaffordable Housing: A Root Cause Of Homelessness

    1350 Words  | 3 Pages

    As stated by Richard F. Burns and Thomas G. Vaccaro in Unaffordable Housing: A Root Cause of Social Inequality, 80% to 120% of area median income—also struggle to find affordable rental units in all 50 states. This lack of “workforce housing” results in their inability to live in or near the places where they work. Not being able to live near work if results in higher cost of living because you end up having to pay for either a car or, you could rely on public transportation or even have to pay forward gas money to another person. Housing also ties(“is also tied to”) to cost of living which turns out is very expensive. According to DePersio, Greg in "How Much Money Do You Need to Live in Los Angeles?, As of August 2015, the average rent in Los Angeles is $2,296 per month. Even if someone is only looking for a one-bedroom apartment, the average cost sits at approximately$1,950 per month. A two-bedroom apartment averages slightly over $2,500. So as one can see that they have to make at the very least $13 an hour just to pay rent, this does not even include food or utilities let alone if they have kids forget it. Because of unaffordable housing has left millions without homes making them fall under the category of

    Read More

  • Affordable Housing for Low Income Families

    584 Words  | 2 Pages

    For those of us with warm roofs over our heads and groceries on the table the problem of affordable housing does not often surface. But for low-income families, where half the income can disappear simply trying to keep the family sheltered in an acceptable home, the problem is a daily one. President of the BRIDGE Housing Corporation Donald Terner and columnist Brad Terner argue that affordable housing is a problem that should involve everyone. From your local supermarket clerk to your child’s science teacher, the problem of affordable housing can affect us all.

    Read More

  • Public Housing In Canada

    1800 Words  | 4 Pages

    This paper will be predominantly focusing on public housing within Ontario. Not only will it look at the basics of Ontario but examine more directly on Regent Park within Toronto. It will discuss what public housing is and the explanation for why it exists, the government housing programs that are present with regards to public housing and the results of the government programs. The Purpose of this essay is to argue that the problem of public housing will never

    Read More

  • Pruitt-Igoe In The 1950's

    1033 Words  | 3 Pages

    One of the key lessons learned from Pruitt-Igoe is even if the government does build apartments for those with lower income, without the ability to afford rent in a timely manner, the government’s actions will be rendered useless. In the documentary, some people had to pay three-quarters of their income as rent in order to live there. The housing department failed to recognize that even if their intentions were to help citizens, they would be unable to do so if the rent is too expensive. The rent should have been an affordable price for those with lower income. One solution could have been that those affordable housings could have been built outside the city where the rent might be considerably cheaper and more affordable.

    Read More

  • Why Is Gentrification Wrong

    1233 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are people in the neighborhoods that can enjoy the neighborhood enhancements because they know they can survive the inflation of their rent. There are people that are oblivious to the fact that their rent will increase a significant amount, because they are excited that there will be shiny new locations arriving in their area. Once their landlord explains to them that their rent will increase – in New York it could be up to fifty percent – they will be struck with the sad reality of gentrification. Gentrification is similar to other social issues, primarily in the fact that one does not think about the issue until it affects them.

    Read More

  • Housing Affordability Crisis In The Bay Area

    678 Words  | 2 Pages

    This housing affordability crisis is stripping away it’s diversity at increasing rates and I feel that not enough is being done to restore it. Liz Pfeffer article “Is the Bay Area in a Housing Bubble or a Crisis?” describes the situation as, “San Francisco’s chronic problem is a lack of housing for middle and lower-income people. It’s not that they can’t afford it, it’s that it doesn’t exist”. Officials should collaborate on creating solutions to the root causes and offer alternatives that would release some of the pressure. I would suggest promoting micro-homes or smaller scaled homes, limiting foreign investors’s purchases of single-family homes, or expanding campuses of employers to areas that are not heavily populated. It is not too late to restore the balance but it will take collaboration and team work. I am urging these officials and activists to try and save the beloved culture of this area and help retain it as a place where social justice is recognized and

    Read More

  • Housing Inequality Sociology

    1132 Words  | 3 Pages

    Compare and contrast the ways in which housing inequalities are discussed from the perspectives of social policy and criminology, and economics (TMA 02)

    Read More

  • Essay On Affordable Housing

    661 Words  | 2 Pages

    Therefore, the supply of housing that is affordable and accessible to low income people should be increased. Plus assistance that allows people to reach adequate stability should be regarded as a good investment in a productive society, in order to attain our objective. First we could start by introducing more productive assistance programs that actually focus on helping those in need of housing assistance. These programs will analyze how long people are homeless, what are their needs, the causes of homelessness, and in all how many are currently without a home. Subsequently, the City of Austin would begin building affordable housing according to the amount necessary.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Speech On Affordable Housing

    1064 Words  | 3 Pages

    The American dream was owning a house with a white picket fence. Now this dream is impossible. Individuals and families find it more difficult to find a decent home to rent in a suitable living area. According to Huffington Post, the hourly wage needed to afford a two bedroom apartment in California is at least $26 an hour. This is more than triple the minimum wage. Eviction, relocation, and inflation are the common keywords that associate with affordable housing. I 'm hoping to persuade you to support affordable housing for all. Today, I will be discussing, one, inflation of the housing market that needs to decrease, two, eviction from homes, three having to move to communities far from their work site.

    Read More

  • Housing Shortage In California

    973 Words  | 2 Pages

    First, growth controls exist in many cities and counties in the coastal metros. More than two-thirds of the cities and counties in California coastal areas have enacted policies limiting housing growth . Some of them adopted policies that directly cap the number of new homes to be built in a specific year, or limit the densities of the building A common indirect policy to limit new housing growth is to require a supermajority, of the local boards to approve the construction project. However, such supermajority often is hard to reach, leading to the project to be scotched.

    Read More

  • The Homeless in Canada

    2623 Words  | 6 Pages

    In my experience as a real estate sales representative, I have looked at many rental properties that are owned by people that are commonly known as slum lords. These units are in disrepair with leaks, mold, mildew, holes in walls, ceiling and poor floor coverings. Many people are afraid of pushing these issues to have repairs done as they might lose their shelter or their rent could be increased. There are people living in a rooms in a house, that are also at risk as they don’t realize they are not protected under the tenant act so the owners can remove them from their shelter without notice. I have also experienced people living in abandoned commercial buildings ...

    Read More

  • Rent Control: Pros And Cons

    1252 Words  | 3 Pages

    Overall, they argue that the goals of rent control can be reached if they are

    Read More

  • Gentrification Essay

    2935 Words  | 6 Pages

    Gentrification is a highly important topic that has not only been occurring all over the United States, but especially closer than we may have thought. San Francisco is home to hundreds of thousands of people who have been a part of how amazing this city has become. San Francisco is one of the most visited places in the world with many of its famous landmarks, endless opportunities not only for daytime fun but also has an amazing nightlife that people cannot get enough of. People come for a great time and could not be done without the help of the people who have grown up to experience and love this city for what it truly is. The cost of living in such an important city has definitely had its affect of lower income San Francisco residents. For decades we have seen changes occurring in parts of San Francisco where minorities live. We have seen this in Chinatown, SOMA, Fillmore district, and especially the Mission district.

    Read More

  • Gentrification

    1826 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...ojects one at a time and assist individual households threatened with eviction. Resources should be divided between short-term and long-term actions. Finally, anti-gentrification advocates should develop a comprehensive approach to slowing down gentrification. ?A combination of relocation assistance, homebuyer programs, affordable housing development, land use planning, community organizing, and small business support must occur to address gentrification on all fronts? (Alejandrino 47). These are just some recommendations to help rescue those negatively affected by gentrification.

    Read More

  • The Ethics of Rent Control

    905 Words  | 2 Pages

    Rent control is a price ceiling imposed by the government. Which means is a law that places a maximum price a landlord can charge a tenant. This rent control affects the equilibrium of the market, making a change on supply and demand because if the price is set below the market price, the quantity demanded will exceed supply; as a result, people who want to rent will have to lean to units that are not rent controlled which will have a higher price. In a normal competitive market, when the quantity demanded exceeds supply, the price increases to eliminate the problem of shortage. In this case of rent control, the price of rent can only be increased each year by a fraction of the inflation rate.

    Read More

More about Arguments Against Rent Control

Open Document