§PlainStatute

Housing · Rent control

Rent Control by State: Capped, Local, or Banned

Whether each state caps how much rent can rise, lets cities set their own limits, or bans local rent control outright, and the exemptions that apply. Each cited to the statute.

6 of 50 states published. States fall into three groups: a statewide cap, no state law so cities may act, or a law that bars cities from rent control at all.Here 2 set a statewide limit and 3 bar local control. Most states are in that last group. Every page links to the statute or the code it was read against.

Read this first: most states ban local rent control

Rent control means a legal cap on how much rent can rise. There is no federal rent control, so it is set state by state, and the surprising part is that most states have banned their own cities from enacting it. Only a few states set a statewide cap, a few more leave cities free to act, and the rest preempt local rent control entirely.

Two things to keep straight. First, rent control is not the same as a rent-increase-notice rule; a state with no rent cap can still make a landlord give you 30 or 60 days notice before raising the rent. Second, even where a cap exists it usually exempts newer buildings and single-family homes, so the cap may not reach your unit. Every figure links to the statute, and pages still pending verification say so.

Pick your state

Whether rent is capped, who sets the limit, and the statute on each card.

C

CA
California
Statewide limit
In this state
Annual cap5% + CPI, max 10%
Statute§ 1947.12

F

FL
Florida
Preempted
In this state
Statute§ 125.0103

I

IL
Illinois
Preempted
In this state
Statute50 ILCS 825/5

N

NY
New York
Statewide limit
In this state
Statute§§ 8621 to 8634

P

PA
Pennsylvania
Local allowed
In this state
Statute§§ 250.101 to 250.602

T

TX
Texas
Preempted
In this state
Statute§ 214.902

What these pages are, and what they aren't

Each state page is a reference for the rent control rule and the neutral steps around it. They are deliberately not advice for your lease: the cap, any local ordinance, and the exemptions turn on the unit and the city, so each page links to the statute or the code it was read against. This is legal information, not legal advice.