The city of St. Paul is considering another change to its rent control rules. This time, the city council may vote to permanently exempt all buildings built after 2005 from rent control limits.
Rent control was approved by voters in 2021. It limits how much landlords can raise rent each year. The goal was to help people afford to live in St. Paul. But since then, many developers and landlords have said it makes it harder to build new housing or keep up with costs.
Mayor Melvin Carter says this change is needed to encourage new housing to be built in the city. He believes it will help solve the housing shortage. “We want more homes in St. Paul,” he said. “If we make it too hard, developers will stop building.”
Some city leaders agree. They say not enough new homes are being built and that rent control is part of the problem.
But others say removing rent control protections from newer buildings will hurt renters. “It opens the door for big rent hikes,” said one tenant rights organizer. “People already struggle to find affordable homes. This makes it worse.”
The proposed change would make the 20-year exemption permanent. That means any building constructed after 2005 would not have to follow rent control rules.
A final vote is expected soon. Renters and landlords are watching closely. Some believe it’s a step in the right direction. Others fear it’s another rollback of protections that voters wanted.
