Housing

Limits on rent increases

23 public statements from 2026 candidates

§1The range of views

Why this matters: Rent limits can make housing costs more predictable for tenants, and they affect landlords' income and how much new rental housing gets built.

Drafted by AI, then checked for neutral wording in a separate AI review. It describes the question and the main positions, not any candidate's view. Facts link to their sources.

Whether state or local governments should cap how much landlords can raise rents each year.

  1. Freeze rents or keep yearly increases low, as in traditional rent control
  2. Cap only large yearly increases, such as those above 10%
  3. No caps on rent increases

These options describe policies, not people. The order is not a ranking.

§2What candidates have said

Why this matters: Statements candidates made publicly, summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Candidates who haven't spoken publicly on this issue aren't listed.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Freeze rents or keep yearly increases low, as in traditional rent control (7)

  • Ro Khanna CA-17
    His campaign website says rent should be capped so it cannot rise faster than inflation, and that he supports local rent caps.1
  • Angélica María Dueñas CA-29
    Her campaign website calls for universal rent control that would limit rent increases to 3 percent a year.2
  • Angie Nixon FL Senate special
    Her campaign website says she supports a national rent freeze, a national rent stabilization standard and a moratorium on evictions.3,4
  • Donavan McKinney MI-13
    His campaign website says he supports nationwide rent control to cap annual rent increases, along with just-cause eviction protections and a federal right to counsel for renters facing eviction.5
  • Michael Dublin NC Senate
    His platform supports universal rent control and a large expansion of publicly owned, permanently affordable housing.6
  • Andres Jinete NJ-12
    His campaign website lists rent control as a demand and says it would include a renters' bill of rights with compensation for displacement caused by rent increases and a ban on evictions during the school year and winter months.7,8
  • Greg Levy OH Senate special
    His campaign website calls for a national rent cap so that no one pays more than 20% of their income for housing, and for banning evictions.9

Cap only large yearly increases, such as those above 10% (1)

  • Jordan Herrera MO-4
    His campaign website lists a national limit on yearly rent increases meant to stop sharp jumps from one year to the next while still permitting modest raises.10

Statements that don't match one option (15)

  • Mai Vang CA-7
    Her campaign website says she would champion a federal renters' bill of rights making just-cause eviction protections and fair rent standards a national standard.11
  • Samir Ezzeldin Witta CO-6
    His campaign website calls for capping rent and homeowners association fees and holding management companies accountable.12
  • Erik Underwood CO Governor
    His campaign website says that if the need arises he would freeze rents to keep people from becoming homeless.13
  • Mike Sell FL-4
    His campaign's platform calls for capping yearly rent increases at a federally defined affordability threshold.14
  • Natalie M Fleming ID Senate
    Her housing proposals would require large investors to sell the manufactured home communities they own, with residents given first chance to buy, and would freeze lot rents during that period at their levels before the investors bought the communities.15,16
  • John "Drew" Williams KY-1
    His campaign website says it supports improvements in rental housing with enforceable safeguards against excessive rent increases or displacement tied to publicly funded upgrades.17
  • Pete Lynch KY-6
    His campaign website says he supports capping rent increases for corporate-owned rental properties.18
  • Lauren Jewett LA-1
    Her campaign website says she will provide rent control options and tenant protections such as right to counsel.19
  • Lisa Ballay LA-2
    Her campaign website says she opposes federal rent and price controls as the primary answer to expensive housing, and would focus on construction costs, insurance, financing and regulations that limit supply.20
  • Joe Tache MA Senate
    His campaign website says he would cap rent at 10% of income.21
  • Nadia Donya Milleron MA-1
    Her campaign website says she supports capping runaway rents as part of lowering living costs.22,23
  • Andrea James MA Governor
    Her campaign website says she would support rent stabilization policies, declare a statewide housing emergency and create a Social Housing Authority to build permanently affordable housing.24
  • Douglas P. Marsh MI Senate
    His campaign website says rents should be tied to an area's prevailing wages and short-term rentals should be regulated.25
  • Ryan Michael Kelly NJ-3
    His campaign website says he supports rent stabilization that would let rents rise in line with real costs while protecting tenants from steep increases.26
  • Rachel Peace NJ-4
    Her campaign website says she supports the Tenant's Right to Organize Act, which it describes as protecting renters' rights and prohibiting unfair rent increases.27