Regulating rents: International examples and experience

Abstract

Rents in Australia’s private rental sector have risen sharply in 2022 and 2023. Low vacancy rates and slow construction have led many to predict further rent increases over the coming years. It is widely acknowledged that Australia faces a rental affordability crisis, one that is most severe for lower income households. This crisis has prompted debate about the merits of rent regulation.

In this report, Alistair Sisson and Penelope Bowyer-Pont examine the range of rent regulations in place internationally and present considerations for how rent regulation might be implemented in New South Wales.