Election 2020: Prop. 21 Brings Back Another Attempt to Expand Rent

Advocates of expanding rent control in California are back with this year with Proposition 21 two years after voters turned down a similar ballot measure. Prop. 21 would allow cities to put limits on how much landlords can annually increase rents. The measure would also allow cities to include single-family homes under control provisions, which are currently exempt. In 2019, the state legislature established a statewide rent cap of 5 percent plus inflation on buildings that are at least 15 years old. We look at both sides of the debate on Prop. 21 and what it would do compared with existing laws.