A Brief History
Rent control in Massachusetts dates to the World War II era, when it was implemented as an emergency wartime measure. While most communities abandoned it after the war, three cities maintained rent control for decades:
- Boston: Controlled since 1970
- Cambridge: Controlled since 1970
- Brookline: Controlled since 1970
The Problems Grew
By the 1980s and early 1990s, the negative effects of rent control were becoming impossible to ignore:
- Deteriorating housing stock: Landlords, unable to earn market returns, deferred maintenance
- Housing shortage: Developers avoided building in controlled cities
- Misallocation: Wealthy tenants occupied large, below-market apartments while families struggled to find housing
- Conversion and abandonment: Landlords converted rental units to condos or let buildings deteriorate
Question 9: The 1994 Referendum
In November 1994, Massachusetts voters faced Question 9: a statewide ballot initiative to ban rent control in all municipalities. The measure passed with 51% of the vote, ending rent control in Boston, Cambridge, and Brookline effective January 1, 1995.
Key arguments that won the debate:
- Rent control was keeping housing off the market
- Many rent-controlled tenants were not low-income
- Property owners deserved fair returns on their investments
- The free market would better address housing needs
What Happened After Repeal
The results confirmed what economists predicted:
Property Values (MIT Study)
- Previously controlled properties increased in value by 45%
- Neighboring properties also saw significant appreciation
- Total property value increase in Cambridge alone: $1.8 billion
Housing Quality
- Landlords invested in long-deferred maintenance
- Building renovations increased dramatically
- Housing code violations decreased
Housing Supply
- New construction permits increased in formerly controlled cities
- Conversion of rental units to condos slowed (owners could now earn fair returns)
- Overall rental housing supply stabilized and then grew
The "Displacement" That Wasn't
- Rent control advocates predicted mass displacement of vulnerable tenants
- Research (Sims, 2007) found no significant displacement
- Market rents adjusted gradually over 2-3 years, not overnight
The Lesson for Today
Massachusetts tried rent control for 25 years. It failed. The state's voters recognized this and ended it. Now, three decades later, some legislators want to bring it back—ignoring the clear historical evidence from our own state.
The question isn't theoretical. Massachusetts has already run this experiment. We know the outcome. Rent control doesn't work.