By Adam Pagnucco.
Here is today’s question.
Do you support retaining or repealing the county’s rent stabilization law? If you support retaining it, what if any changes would you make to improve its functions?
Mithun Banerjee (D)
On April 29, Banerjee requested more time to respond due to medical reasons. At that time, he told me, “I was sick & still I am sick. I will try my level best to send them to you at the earliest.”
Andrew Friedson (D)
I voted against the policy and offered an alternative to protect renters from double digit rent increases without damaging the rental housing market. Unfortunately, the current law has led to a 97% drop in new rental housing production, which will only exacerbate our long-term affordability crisis, all while rent increases have effectively stayed the same but homelessness has significantly increased. We need a “scalpel” approach rather than a hammer. We can prevent price gouging, protect tenants without penalizing housing providers once a tenant moves out, and ensure new construction isn’t subjected to restrictions that drive away the investment we need to build the housing we want. You simply cannot subsidize housing that doesn’t exist and you can’t solve a housing supply problem by effectively stopping housing production.
Evan Glass (D)
In 2023, every member of the Council supported stronger protections for renters facing steep increases, some as high as 25% to 45%. While Councilmembers differed on how much to cap annual increases — ranging from 3% to 15% — there was broad agreement that tenant protections must be accompanied with expanding our housing supply.
Since the law’s enactment, housing production has declined sharply. Regional permitting data shows Montgomery County issued just 84 multifamily unit permits in 2025, compared with more than 1,700 in Fairfax County. This suggests the law is not meeting its dual goals of protecting renters while increasing housing availability.
While I supported rent stabilization, I had concerns about certain provisions, particularly vacancy control, which limits rents on units even after tenants move out. This policy was adopted in part because Montgomery County lacks Good Cause Eviction protections, which safeguard tenants from unjust removal. I strongly support efforts to enact Good Cause Eviction as a more effective long-term tenant protection.
My goal is straightforward: protect renters while ensuring we build enough housing for future generations. Given current outcomes, we must reassess the law and make necessary adjustments to meet both of those priorities.
Peter James (D)
Rent stabilization applies to 23 year old properties.
Multi-family projects are funded with five and ten year mortgages. Developer take a five year mortgage. Investment companies, funded by pension funds, is the typical 2nd buyer and holds for 10 years. The third owner needs to provide higher level of maintenance.
The fear of the initial developer and their banker that there won’t be a third buyer is the problem.
Given the current commercial debt crisis, the banks and private equity companies that fund the projects, are looking for low risk deals without rent stabilization.
Single family and duplexes with 30 year mortgages don’t seem to be impacted by the rent stabilization law.
Rent stabilization caused multi-family permits to drop by 97%. To fix the problem I would understand the cost structures of the third buyer and find better inflation adjusted formulas that alleviate the perceived risks to the third buyer.
Better yet a program to form condo buyer coops with 30 years mortgages, makes it easier for the developer to sell to them rather then a signal large investor wanting rental units. This will solve affordable housing issue as home ownership drops the cost of housing by 75%.
Will Jawando (D)
Did not answer the questionnaire.
Shelly Skolnick (R)
Did not answer the questionnaire.
Esther Wells (R)
As County Executive, I support repealing the county’s rent stabilization law. Current leadership uses these caps to mask their failure to stimulate growth, stifling the housing supply we need to lower costs. I will immediately weaken these regulations and treat the law as a living document, rigorously evaluating whether it helps residents or simply deters quality development.
Our housing budget has become a blank check for administrative bloat. I will initiate top-to-bottom fiscal audits of every housing program to “follow the money.” We must expose the true cost of these policies, including lost tax revenue from stalled projects and declining building quality. We cannot continue dumping taxpayer dollars into systems that lack performance reviews.
By uncovering this waste, I will redirect funds toward proven solutions: streamlining the permitting process and providing incentives for developers who actually break ground. I will work with the County Council to pivot our strategy the moment data shows a program is harming us. Montgomery County deserves a leader who prioritizes fiscal transparency over political posturing. It is time to replace “studies” with results.