Rent Control Ballot Initiatives Won Almost Everywhere

Voters approved rent-control measures in most of the local ballot contests described, tightening limits on rent increases and adding tenant protections. The results show how rent-control proposals can win support in local elections, even though California voters have repeatedly rejected statewide versions.

In Elizabeth, New Jersey, 68 per cent backed a temporary cap limiting annual increases to the lower of 3 per cent or $20 a month, replacing rules introduced in 2023. San Pablo’s Measure S was on course to pass with nearly 60 per cent support, while Redwood City’s Measure E appeared headed for defeat, with 55 per cent voting against it. Voters also rejected a Salinas proposal to repeal rent stabilisation; measures passed in Augusta, Maine, and Saint Paul, Minnesota.