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Rent control laws by state
The rule in every state and DC, with the statute and how well each answer is verified. Click a state for its full page.
A few states cap annual rent increases statewide. Many more ban cities from adopting rent control at all. In between are states that leave it to local governments, which is why some cities have their own caps.
What to check in your state
- Whether a statewide cap applies to your unit type and building age.
- Whether your city or county has its own rent stabilization ordinance.
- Whether just cause eviction rules come with the cap.
Common mistakes
- Assuming new construction is always exempt. Where an exemption exists, it may be tied to a specific building age.
- Missing the annual published cap figure in states that set it each year.
Related: Rent increase notice requirements by state · Eviction process and timeline by state
| State | Rule | Details | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Local rent control is banned by state law. | Counties and cities may not enact, maintain, or enforce any rule that controls the rent charged for private property. | Ala. Code § 11-80-8.1 Checked against the official source |
| Alaska | No state or local rent control in effect. | No Alaska city has a rent control ordinance. We could not confirm whether state law preempts cities from adopting one. | Not yet verified |
| Arizona | Preempted. Cities and towns may not control rents. | The ban covers charter cities too. It does not apply to housing owned, financed, insured, or subsidized by a state agency or city. | A.R.S. § 33-1329 Checked against the official source |
| Arkansas | Preempted. Local governments cannot regulate rent, rental application fees, or rental deposits. | Since Act 459 of 2025, no county, city, or other local unit may enact or enforce an ordinance controlling rent, application fees, or deposits for private residential or commercial property, except as provided in the state deposit statute (§ 18-16-304). Local governments may still manage property they own. We read the enrolled Act through an archived copy of the legislature's page. | Ark. Code Ann. § 14-16-601 (as amended by Act 459 of 2025); also § 14-54-1409 Checked against the official source |
| California | Statewide cap of 5% plus local CPI, never more than 10%, per 12 months (AB 1482). | Applies to most units with a certificate of occupancy more than 15 years old. Single-family homes and condos are exempt only if the owner is not a REIT, corporation, or LLC with a corporate member and the tenant got the statutory exemption notice. Increases are limited to two per 12 months. Rent resets for a new tenancy. The law sunsets January 1, 2030. Local rent control, where stricter, controls. | Cal. Civ. Code § 1947.12 Checked against the official source |
| Colorado | Local rent control is preempted. | No county or city may control rent on private residential housing. Voluntary agreements and deed restrictions with owners or permit applicants to provide affordable housing are allowed. | C.R.S. § 38-12-301 Checked against the official source |
| Connecticut | No rent control, but fair rent commissions can order cuts to excessive rents. | Towns with 25,000 or more residents must have a fair rent commission that hears tenant complaints about harsh or excessive rent increases. Tenants 62 or older or with disabilities in buildings of five or more units can only be evicted for good cause, which includes refusing a fair and equitable rent increase. | Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 7-148b to 7-148f, 47a-23c Secondary source |
| Delaware | No rent control for apartments or houses. | No rent stabilization law applies to ordinary residential rentals. Manufactured home communities have a separate rent justification law in Title 25, Chapter 70. We could not confirm this against an official summary for this guide. | Not yet verified |
| District of Columbia | Yes. Rent stabilization covers most older buildings. Increases are capped at CPI-W plus 2%, never above 10%. | For May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027 the cap is 4.1%, and 2.1% for registered elderly or disabled tenants, as published by the Rental Housing Commission. Exemptions include buildings permitted after December 31, 1975 and up to 4 units owned by no more than 4 natural persons, but each exemption must be claimed by filing with the Rent Administrator. | D.C. Code §§ 42-3502.05(a), 42-3502.06(b), 42-3502.08(h), 42-3502.24 Checked against the official source |
| Florida | Preempted. Local governments cannot adopt or keep rent control. | State law bars any city, county, or local entity from imposing controls on rents. Inclusionary housing ordinances are still allowed. | Fla. Stat. § 125.0103(2) Checked against the official source |
| Georgia | Preempted. Cities and counties cannot regulate rent amounts. | No county or city may enact, maintain, or enforce an ordinance that regulates the amount of rent on privately owned single-family or multifamily rentals. Local governments may still regulate their own property and make rent agreements with private owners. | O.C.G.A. § 44-7-19 Checked against the official source |
| Hawaii | No statewide rent control. | The Residential Landlord-Tenant Code does not limit the amount of a rent increase. Governor's emergency proclamations, such as those after the 2023 Maui wildfires, have at times limited rent increases or evictions, so check for any current proclamation. | HRS ch. 521; HRS § 521-21 Checked against the official source |
| Idaho | Preempted. Local governments cannot regulate rent, fees, or deposits. | Cities and counties also cannot force owners to take part in optional federal housing assistance programs such as vouchers. Local governments may still manage property they own. | Idaho Code § 55-306 Checked against the official source |
| Illinois | Preempted. Local governments, including home rule units, cannot adopt rent control. | The Rent Control Preemption Act bars any ordinance that controls the amount of rent on private residential or commercial property. Local governments may still manage property they own. | 50 ILCS 825/5, 825/10 Checked against the official source |
| Indiana | Prohibited. Local governments cannot regulate rent. | Cities, towns and counties cannot regulate rental rates, and also cannot regulate screening, deposits, applications, lease terms, disclosures, tenant and landlord rights, or landlord fees unless the legislature authorizes it. Starting July 1, 2026, local units also cannot cap or ban the use of homes as rentals. | IC 32-31-1-20; IC 36-1-20-3.6 Checked against the official source |
| Iowa | Prohibited for cities. | Cities may not adopt or enforce limits on rent for private residential property. Cities also cannot require landlords to accept federal Housing Choice Vouchers. | Iowa Code 364.3(9), (16) Checked against the official source |
| Kansas | Prohibited statewide. | No city, county or township may enact or enforce rent control on private residential or commercial property. Voluntary agreements tied to incentives are allowed. | K.S.A. 12-16,120 Checked against the official source |
| Kentucky | No state rent control law. Local landlord-tenant ordinances that conflict with state law are barred. | KRS chapter 383 has no rent control provision. Since March 6, 2024, KRS 383.198 bars cities and counties from adopting or enforcing landlord-tenant ordinances that conflict with state law, and KRS 383.500 lets local governments adopt URLTA only in its entirety without amendment. | KRS 383.198; KRS 383.500 Checked against the official source |
| Louisiana | No local rent control; state law is understood to bar it. | No Louisiana parish or city has rent control. The specific preemption statute was not confirmed. | Not yet verified |
| Maine | No statewide rent control; local rent control is allowed. | Maine does not preempt local rent control. Portland has a rent stabilization ordinance. | Not yet verified |
| Maryland | No statewide rent control; some localities cap increases. | Montgomery County and Takoma Park have rent stabilization laws. Check county and city rules before setting a renewal rent. | Not yet verified |
| Massachusetts | Banned statewide since 1994. | No city or town may enact, maintain or enforce rent control except as G.L. c. 40P allows. On June 23, 2026 the Supreme Judicial Court ruled that Initiative Petition 25-21, which would have limited rent increases statewide, cannot appear on the November 2026 ballot because its religious facility exemption violates article 48. No rent cap applies today. | G.L. c. 40P, § 4; Cella v. Attorney General, SJC-13893 (June 23, 2026) Checked against the official source |
| Michigan | Local rent control is banned. | Counties, cities, villages, and townships may not adopt or enforce rules that control the rent charged for private residential property. They may still offer voluntary incentives to add affordable units. | MCL 123.411 Checked against the official source |
| Minnesota | Only if local voters approve it at a general election. | Cities, counties, and towns may control rents only through an ordinance or charter amendment approved by voters in a general election. St. Paul has a voter-approved rent stabilization ordinance, so check local rules there. | Minn. Stat. § 471.9996 Checked against the official source |
| Mississippi | No local rent control; state preemption not confirmed. | We are not aware of any Mississippi city with rent control, but we could not confirm a statute that expressly preempts it. | Not yet verified |
| Missouri | Banned statewide; local add-on rules also barred since 2025. | No county or city may regulate the amount of rent for private residential property. Since August 28, 2025, local governments also may not ban source-of-income refusals (except for veterans' benefits), restrict landlord screening criteria, limit deposit amounts, or require a tenant right of first refusal. | RSMo § 441.043 Checked against the official source |
| Montana | Local rent control is prohibited. | Self-governing local governments may not control the amount of rent charged for private residential or commercial property, and may not add to or change the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act or deposit law. | MCA 7-1-111(13), (26) Checked against the official source |
| Nebraska | No statewide rent control statute. | Nebraska's Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act does not regulate rent amounts. We did not find a state law that expressly preempts local rent control, so check city ordinances. | Neb. Rev. Stat. §§ 76-1401 to 76-1449 (no provision) Checked against the official source |
| Nevada | No statewide or local rent control. | Bills to cap rent increases for seniors were vetoed in 2023 (AB 298) and 2025 (AB 280). Nevada statutes do not set a rent cap. | None (no statute); see 2025 AB 280 veto Secondary source |
| New Hampshire | No rent control. | No state statute or local ordinance limits rent amounts. | None Secondary source |
| New Jersey | No statewide rent control on apartments, but municipalities may adopt it. | Many towns have rent control or rent leveling ordinances. New multiple dwellings are exempt from local rent control for the term of the initial mortgage or 30 years after completion, whichever is less (30 years if there is no mortgage). Separately, P.L.2025, c.85 caps rent increases on manufactured home park sites at 3.5% per 12 months unless the state approves more. | N.J.S.A. 2A:42-84.2, 2A:42-84.5, 52:27D-287.13 Checked against the official source |
| New Mexico | Rent control is banned statewide. | No city or county, including home rule cities, may control rents on private property. Government-funded affordable units are excluded. | NMSA 47-8A-1 Checked against the official source |
| New York | No statewide cap; rent stabilization and Good Cause apply in NYC and opt-in localities. | Rent stabilization covers many older NYC buildings and some opt-in municipalities. Under Good Cause Eviction (covered units in NYC and towns that opt in), an increase above the local rent standard (5% plus CPI, never more than 10%) is presumed unreasonable. Exemptions include small landlords with 10 or fewer units, owner-occupied buildings of up to 10 units, buildings with a certificate of occupancy after January 1, 2009, and units renting above 245% of fair market rent. | N.Y. Real Prop. Law §§ 211, 214, 216 Checked against the official source |
| North Carolina | Local rent control is banned. | Cities and counties cannot regulate rent on private residential property. Since September 9, 2024, they also cannot bar landlords from refusing tenants whose rent comes partly from a federal housing assistance program. | N.C. Gen. Stat. § 42-14.1 Checked against the official source |
| North Dakota | Local rent control is banned. | Political subdivisions cannot control rent on private residential or commercial property. | N.D.C.C. § 47-16-02.1 Checked against the official source |
| Ohio | Banned. Cities and counties cannot impose rent control. | No city, county, or other political subdivision may impose rent control or rent stabilization, or otherwise regulate rights and duties already covered by chapter 5321. Local housing, building, health, and safety codes still apply, and local governments may set rents on property they own or tie rent terms to voluntary incentives. | Ohio Rev. Code §§ 5321.19, 5321.20 Checked against the official source |
| Oklahoma | Banned. Cities cannot regulate rent on private housing. | Municipalities may not enact or enforce rent control on privately owned residential or commercial rentals. They may regulate their own property and subsidized housing agreements. | 11 O.S. § 14-101.1 Checked against the official source |
| Oregon | Statewide rent cap: 9.5% for 2026 and 10% for 2027 for ordinary residential tenancies. | ORS 90.323 limits increases to the yearly maximum set under ORS 90.324(1)(b): the lesser of 10% or 7% plus inflation. The state published 9.5% for 2026 and 10% for 2027. Buildings whose certificate of occupancy is under 15 years old and some affordable housing are exempt. Spaces in manufactured home parks with more than 30 spaces are capped at 6%. Increases need at least 90 days' written notice and only one is allowed every 12 months. | ORS 90.323, 90.324(1) Checked against the official source |
| Pennsylvania | No statewide rent control statute. | The Landlord and Tenant Act does not regulate rent amounts, and we did not find a state law that expressly preempts local rent control. Check local law. | 68 P.S. § 250.101 et seq. (no provision) Checked against the official source |
| Rhode Island | No statewide rent control. | Rhode Island has no rent cap statute. The main limit is the 60-day (or 120-day) notice rule for increases. | Not yet verified |
| South Carolina | Banned. Counties and cities cannot regulate rent on private housing. | Local governments may not enact or enforce ordinances regulating rent on private residential or commercial rentals. | S.C. Code § 27-39-60 Checked against the official source |
| South Dakota | No statewide rent control. | South Dakota has no rent control law. A state law expressly preempting local rent control was not confirmed. | Not yet verified |
| Tennessee | Banned. Local governments cannot control rent or require below-market units. | Cities and counties may not enact or enforce rent control on private residential or commercial property, or force landlords to set aside below-market units. Since July 1, 2024, voluntary municipal attainable housing incentive programs are expressly allowed (Pub. Ch. 1051). | Tenn. Code Ann. § 66-35-102 Secondary source |
| Texas | Effectively banned. Cities may adopt rent control only in a declared disaster with the governor's approval. | A city ordinance needs a finding of a housing emergency caused by a declared disaster and the governor's approval. It continues or ends the same way the governor's disaster declaration does. | Tex. Loc. Gov't Code § 214.902 Checked against the official source |
| Utah | Prohibited. Local governments cannot control rents or fees without legislative approval. | Applies to all private residential property. | Utah Code § 57-20-1 Checked against the official source |
| Vermont | No statewide statute on rent control. | Chapter 137 neither sets nor bans rent control. Check local ordinances and proposals. | 9 V.S.A. ch. 137 (no rent control provision) Checked against the official source |
| Virginia | No statewide rent control. | The VRLTA applies in every jurisdiction and localities may not waive or modify it. We did not confirm whether any other statute addresses local rent caps. | Va. Code § 55.1-1201(A) Secondary source |
| Washington | Statewide cap: no increase in the first 12 months, then 7% plus CPI or 10% (whichever is less) per 12 months. | The Department of Commerce publishes the yearly maximum. Exempt: buildings with a first certificate of occupancy 12 years old or less, certain nonprofit and public housing, and some owner-occupied units. Tenants can end the lease without penalty if an increase breaks the cap; the AG can seek $7,500 per violation. Expires July 1, 2040. | RCW 59.18.700, 59.18.710 Checked against the official source |
| West Virginia | No statewide statute on rent control. | Articles 6 and 6A of Chapter 37 neither set nor ban rent control. Check local ordinances. | W. Va. Code ch. 37, arts. 6 and 6A (no rent control provision) Checked against the official source |
| Wisconsin | Prohibited. Cities, villages, towns, and counties cannot regulate rent or fees. | Public bodies may still regulate rent on units they own or through voluntary agreements. | Wis. Stat. § 66.1015 Checked against the official source |
| Wyoming | No statewide statute on rent control. | Wyoming statutes neither set nor ban rent control; a search of all titles found no rent control provision. | Wyoming Statutes, all titles (no rent control provision) Checked against the official source |
Laws change. Each rule shows its source and the date it was last checked. Read the statute and talk to a local attorney before acting.
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