Publications
Publications
- June 2023
- HBS Case Collection
Rent Control in Boston, Again?
By: Robin Greenwood, Richard S. Ruback, Robert Ialenti and Tom Quinn
Abstract
This case explores the merits and drawbacks of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s proposal to bring rent control back to the city in 2023. It lays out the features, objectives, and potential unintended consequences of this policy, before highlighting the expected impact of rent control on tenants, landlords, and developers. In addition, the case looks back at Massachusetts’ long history with rent control to better understand whether rent stabilization efforts enacted in the 1970s and repealed in 1994, following a narrowly decided state-wide referendum, were effective in increasing local housing supply and easing rents in the Boston area.
Keywords
Citation
Greenwood, Robin, Richard S. Ruback, Robert Ialenti, and Tom Quinn. "Rent Control in Boston, Again?" Harvard Business School Case 223-083, June 2023.