# Rent Control

*Real Estate — Finicade finance glossary*

Rent control caps how much rent can rise, protecting existing tenants from displacement. It's among the few policies where economists across the spectrum broadly agree on the mechanism: it helps current tenants and, by suppressing returns, reduces new construction and maintenance, tightening supply for everyone else over time. Second-generation designs try to soften this by exempting new builds.

**Also known as:** rent stabilization, rent regulation, rent freeze

**Related terms:** [Housing Affordability](https://finicade.com/glossary/housing-affordability), [Lease Agreement](https://finicade.com/glossary/lease-agreement), [Vacancy Rate](https://finicade.com/glossary/vacancy-rate), [Zoning](https://finicade.com/glossary/zoning), [Supply and Demand](https://finicade.com/glossary/supply-and-demand)

Source: https://finicade.com/glossary/rent-control