New York City’s efforts to protect tenants over the past decade—through rent freezes, eviction bans, and sweeping “good cause” laws—have had wide-reaching effects. In a recent column for Reason Foundation, analyst Jen Sidorova explores how this steady buildup of regulation has discouraged investment, reduced the rental supply, and pushed prices even higher. The intention was stability; the result, in many cases, has been scarcity.
Sidorova argues that each new rule added friction to an already rigid housing market. Over time, landlords faced higher operating costs and fewer options to recoup them, leading many to exit the market altogether. Renters, especially at the lower end, are now navigating a smaller, older, and less responsive housing stock—one increasingly vulnerable to economic shocks.
Other cities considering similar tenant protections should take note. Sidorova’s piece is a reminder that affordability doesn’t follow from regulation alone. The full column is available at Reason: “The decade of regulation: How New York City’s housing policies fueled rental inflation.”