Politicians and housing activists often blame greedy corporate landlords as a primary cause of rising housing costs. They then demand more controls and restrictions, including rent control, on rental property owners. The politicians and activists conveniently ignore the fact that more than 40 percent of rental housing is owned by individual investors, so-called :mom and…
A federal jury in Missouri recently found the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and several residential brokers guilty of conspiring to inflate commissions on real estate sales. The jury assessed a fine of $1.78 billion. The plaintiffs complained about the commissions they paid to buyer’s agents and alleged that the commission model suppressed competition. The…
The Los Angeles City Council recently approved a plan to let landlords increase rents in 2024 by 4 percent. Renters and housing activists aren’t happy, complaining that landlords have enjoyed low inflation and 3 percent rent increases for years before the pandemic. Consequently, property owners “can now afford to tighten the belt so that people…
Leftists often argue that home ownership is essentially the same as a rent-controlled apartment. While the details of their argument might vary, they advance this claim in an attempt to make rent control more palatable. They want us to believe that, if home ownership is desirable, rent control should be as well. Home ownership, they…
Landlords have long been an object of derision. The ongoing affordable housing crisis has only exacerbated the attacks. Landlords are called greedy and negligent. It is argued that they put profits before people. All of this is intended to make it acceptable to hate landlords. Now, CNN informs us, landlords are also guilty of hate…
Those engaged in policy debates often make arbitrary assertions. The arbitrary can take many different forms, but it always includes a claim with no reference to actual facts. It is an assertion without evidence to validate it. Because it has no cognitive value, we should reject the arbitrary out of hand. An example comes from…
When a landlord raises the rent, he is often accused of profiteering—making an “excessive” or “unfair” profit. Those making such claims seldom present any evidence, other than pointing out that some corporate landlords generate billions in revenue. However, revenue is only one factor in determining profitability. Expenses—insurance, maintenance, mortgage payments, and property taxes—must also be…
No decent person wants to see others struggle to afford safe, decent housing. But this does not mean that we should embrace any policy—such as rent control—that keeps rents more affordable. The means are not justified by the ends. In evaluating any issue, we must consider the full context—all of the relevant information. If we…
Like many states, Colorado has a state-wide ban on rent control. As is happening in other states, renters and housing activists are attempting to repeal the ban. In a recent opinion piece, two Boulder residents openly admit that they are nothing more than thugs, writing that Colorado’s ban on rent control means we cannot force…
The Rent Control Board (RCB) in Santa Monica, California has come up with a unique “solution” to the city’s shortage of affordable housing—force landlords to remove their properties from the rental market. The board wants to enforce a state law—the Ellis Act—that requires landlords who evict a tenant to leave the rental market for at…
A recent article on Common Dreams, a news website serving the progressive community, claims that a lack of supply isn’t causing the housing crisis. The article claims that the United States has a surplus of housing—3.5 million more housing units than are needed. Further, a surplus exists in nearly every metropolitan area in the nation….
In 2024, Massachusetts voters may be asked to repeal the state’s ban on rent control. The proposed constitutional amendment would allow municipalities to impose rent caps. The Massachusetts Attorney General has yet to decide if the matter should be on the ballot. As is the case of a similar measure in California, this is not…