Landlords, Officials Debate Rent Control Law as Expiration Looms

The city's rent stabilization law, capping the amount that landlords can charge for rental properties in College Park, is set to expire in September, which is recharging a debate between the city and landlords, The Gazette reports.

Analytics company Sage Policy Group, Inc. concluded in March that there remains a rational basis for rent stabilization, which the city council initially adopted in 2005. , according to the report, which also points to a higher code violation rate among rental properties than among owner-occupied properties.

But Andrea Hawvermale, vice president for the Prince George's Property Owners' Association (PGPOA), .

“Code enforcement with the bad landlords is all they need to do,” she said.

Landlords filed suit two years ago against the city for its rent stabilization law, and in August 2010, the .

A new ordinance is expected to be introduced at a June 12 council meeting with a possible vote on July 10, city officials told The Gazette.

The PGPOA, a vocal opponant of the law, currently has a notice on its website about the June 12 meeting: "This is a Mayor & Council Meeting during which the future of Rent Control will be decided[.] You should arrive early and sign up to speak for 2 minutes! Bring your fellow concerned citizens to do the same!"

Read the full story on The Gazette here.

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