The Missing Middle with Mike Moffatt and Sabrina Maddeaux Why Rent Control Might Be Hurting the People It’s Meant to Help
Nov 12, 2025
Dive into the heated debate about rent control and its unexpected effects on housing markets. Discover how these regulations can lock tenants in place, complicating family planning and downsizing for seniors. The conversation explores who benefits and who loses under rent control, revealing how new tenants often subsidize long-term renters. The hosts also discuss the idea that defending rent control may resemble NIMBYism and ponder whether abolishing it could actually improve mobility. It's a thought-provoking look at a well-intentioned policy.
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Long-Term Tenant Locked By Low Rent
- Mike describes a long-term tenant who felt trapped because her below-market rent made moving or changing jobs unaffordable.
- She stayed near her old job despite better opportunities because losing the unit would raise her housing cost dramatically.
Family Decisions Shaped By Apartment Size
- Cara recounts deciding whether to have a child while living in a one-bedroom that was far below market after years of tenancy.
- She describes creative compromises and a lucky pandemic-timed move to a two-bedroom before rents surged for new tenants.
Rent Rules Cause Mismatch In Housing Sizes
- Rent control can lock both growing families into undersized units and seniors into oversized apartments they won't vacate.
- This mismatch reduces efficient use of housing stock and limits availability of appropriately sized units.