Economic Rent from Subletting under Rent Control

Market Dynamics Under a Price Ceiling

A city's housing market has a strictly enforced rent ceiling of $900 per month on 10,000 apartments. Following a recent surge in population, the demand for these apartments has increased significantly. Analysis of the new market conditions reveals that at the available quantity of 10,000 apartments, tenants are willing to pay up to $1,700 per month. What is the maximum economic rent on a single apartment that is created by this situation?

Consider a housing market with a legally enforced price ceiling set below the market-clearing price, resulting in a significant shortage of available apartments. In this scenario, any economic rent that is created is captured exclusively by the tenants who successfully secure an apartment at the controlled price.

Incentives Created by Price Controls

Consequences of Rent Control

A city's housing market has a long-standing rent ceiling set at $1,000 per month. Due to a recent influx of jobs, demand for housing has surged. While the rent remains fixed at $1,000, the price that prospective tenants are now willing to pay for one of the available rent-controlled apartments has risen to $1,800. What does the $800 difference between the willingness-to-pay and the controlled rent represent?

A city government imposes a rent ceiling of $1,200 per month on its 5,000 available downtown apartments. After a major tech company relocates to the city, the demand for these apartments surges. At the controlled price of $1,200, a total of 9,000 households now wish to rent an apartment. Due to the intense competition, the price that some of these households are willing to pay for one of the 5,000 available apartments rises to $2,000. Based on this scenario, match each economic concept to its correct numerical value.

Distribution of Gains in a Controlled Market

Evaluating Policy Responses to Rent-Seeking

Analyzing Rent-Seeking in a Controlled Market