3 ms·

It also keeps rents from being jacked up unfairly because you don't want to move your life every year or two. People like to point out that sf rental market do

It also keeps rents from being jacked up unfairly because you don't want to move your life every year or two. People like to point out that sf rental market does not have very high rental mobility. While it's not a good thing (people living in homes inappropriately sized because they can't afford to move), it's also not a bad thing (moving frequently sucks, and should be more at the behest of the tenant, rather than landlord).

est31 6y ago
This system of tenants having to look for a new place every 2 years is extremely weird to my German eyes where once you are tenant, you always pay your rent, and don't do bad things, the contract can't be easily terminated by the landlord.
- refurb 6y ago
  You don’t have to move in SF after 2 years, but without rent control you may not have a choice.
  - Thorrez 6y ago
    I think there could be a middle ground: rent control that allows increases that average what the free market would follow (this can be determined by looking at how rent is changing in non-rent-controlled apartments), or even a few percent higher than that. This will stop landlords from doing vicious increases, but also will prevent renters from acquiring absurdly low rents.
    - refurb 6y ago
      That would certainly be an improvement. Right now SF allows 60% of CPI, so less than inflation. The state-wide rent control allows CPI + 5% or 10%, whichever is lower, which doesn’t seem like much of a limit. Just increasing it to CPI in SF seems like an improvement. Even pensioners get CPI adjustments.
username90 6y ago
> It also keeps rents from being jacked up unfairly because you don't want to move your life every year or two. A better description is that it makes rents get jacked up unfairly before you even move in. Property prices are about the same in Zurich and SF, but rent is about half in Zurich as in SF. So the effect of rent control is that everyone's rent is about doubled. I'd rather take my chances and move if my landlord doubles the rate after 2 years than be forced to pay double from the start as I'd have to in SF.
- MAGZine 6y ago
  Contrary to your point, I don't think that's a better description. I live in a non-rent control building and received rate increases of 7% and then 12% after, and this was already on top-of-market rent. I also don't know how well correlated property prices and rent are, especially across countries. I think there are a number of confounding factors such that I'm not sold on how directly it translates.

est31 6y ago

This system of tenants having to look for a new place every 2 years is extremely weird to my German eyes where once you are tenant, you always pay your rent, and don't do bad things, the contract can't be easily terminated by the landlord.

refurb 6y ago
You don’t have to move in SF after 2 years, but without rent control you may not have a choice.
- Thorrez 6y ago
  I think there could be a middle ground: rent control that allows increases that average what the free market would follow (this can be determined by looking at how rent is changing in non-rent-controlled apartments), or even a few percent higher than that. This will stop landlords from doing vicious increases, but also will prevent renters from acquiring absurdly low rents.
  - refurb 6y ago
    That would certainly be an improvement. Right now SF allows 60% of CPI, so less than inflation. The state-wide rent control allows CPI + 5% or 10%, whichever is lower, which doesn’t seem like much of a limit. Just increasing it to CPI in SF seems like an improvement. Even pensioners get CPI adjustments.

username90 6y ago

> It also keeps rents from being jacked up unfairly because you don't want to move your life every year or two. A better description is that it makes rents get jacked up unfairly before you even move in. Property prices are about the same in Zurich and SF, but rent is about half in Zurich as in SF. So the effect of rent control is that everyone's rent is about doubled. I'd rather take my chances and move if my landlord doubles the rate after 2 years than be forced to pay double from the start as I'd have to in SF.

MAGZine 6y ago
Contrary to your point, I don't think that's a better description. I live in a non-rent control building and received rate increases of 7% and then 12% after, and this was already on top-of-market rent. I also don't know how well correlated property prices and rent are, especially across countries. I think there are a number of confounding factors such that I'm not sold on how directly it translates.