Rent controls in comparative perspective: Reflections on an international symposium

In Scotland, the policy landscape around rent controls is rapidly evolving and full of uncertainty. At this critical moment, an international symposium in Edinburgh brought together activists and academics in similar contexts living with or fighting for rent controls from across Europe and North America. This contribution is organised around reflections from the participants on (1) the history of rent controls in their area; (2) the current rent regulations in operation and their effectiveness; (3) the role of tenants’ organisations and (4) landlord and other pro-real estate lobbies in shaping the discourse around rent controls; and (5) reflections on what a satisfactory resolution on the rent control issue might look like and how it relates to other dimensions of the housing system. Our collective hope is that these reflections contribute to sharpening and clarifying the re-emergence of demands for rent control in Europe and North America as a powerful tool––if insufficient by itself––for shaping a decommodified housing system.