There’s a misconception regarding rent control – that housing providers will charge “whatever they want” or “price gouge.” This is incredibly misleading and goes against the basic principles of economics.

We need to take into account how rentals and sales work. If you are selling your home for instance, you can set the price at some astronomical amount, but it certainly won’t sell if it’s not priced appropriately. The same holds true for the rental market. Housing providers don’t just pick some inflated amount out of thin air to charge tenants, they aren’t price gouging, they aren’t charging whatever they want. If they did, their unit would remain vacant until the price was in line with other similar rentals in the area.

More often than not, a housing provider will choose a good tenant over top dollar any day of the week. The idea that all housing providers are inherently bad is simply not true; on the contrary, they want to offer a safe and clean environment while investing in their community. I know all my tenants; I know how hard they work and, honestly, I would prefer to not raise their rent every single year but instead make an adjustment that’s in line with the market after they decide to vacate on their terms.

Rose Greely
Portland