Posts tagged montgomery county maryland
New Montgomery County Law Prohibits Rent-Setting Algorithms

Your music playlist and your apartment rent have more in common than meets the eye because both often are determined using algorithms.

Montgomery County, Maryland, recently joined a growing number of jurisdictions restricting rent-setting algorithms. As these laws take effect, landlords may find themselves basing rents on their own old-fashioned market surveys, secret shoppers, and knowledge of the local market.

While algorithms can provide quick answers, they aren’t always the best answers. Playlist algorithms may impede a listener who wants to explore new artists and genres, and rent-setting algorithms may violate antitrust laws and are increasingly being outlawed outright.

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Rent Control - What the Data Doesn't Show

Measuring the success of a rent control program can be elusive and data can be misleading. Complaint-driven data reveals only the effect on on tenants who choose to file complaints. The data doesn’t reveal whether other tenants didn't file complaints because they weren’t aware of the program or because they believed they were treated fairly. Rent control data frequently doesn't consider the cost of administering the program as compared to other options, such as rent subsidies. And most rent control data doesn't evaluate the indirect economic impacts rent control has on the quality and quantity of housing supply.

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