Most Icelanders Support Rent Control And Caps

A new survey conducted by Maskína for the Association of Renters in Iceland shows broad political support for rent control and rental caps, Kjarninn reports. Those who identify with the right wing, and those who are property owners, were less likely to support these measures than everyone else.

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Within this context, rent control refers to a standard put in place in terms of how high rent can be raised over a given period of time, whereas a rental cap refers to a maximum rent that can be charged on a property of a particular size, location, and other factors.

Overall, 72% of those polled said they favoured rental controls being established in Iceland. For property owners, this was 71%, while for those renting, this was 88%. 71% of all polled also favoured rental caps, with 70% of property owners and 84% of renters, respectively, supporting the idea.

While those on the right wing were less likely than others to support rental caps or rent control, the majority of people from all political parties still showed support.

30% of Independence Party voters; 28% of Reform Party voters; and 13% of Progressive Party voters opposed rental caps in this survey. Opposition to rental caps amongst voters of all other parties was beneath 10%. In terms of rent control, 26% of Independence Party voters and 19% of Reform Party voters expressed opposition, but opposition amongst voters of other parties was again beneath 10%.

Rental caps and rent control has been increasingly in the public discourse in Iceland, as the available housing supply has not been able to keep up with demand, which has led to soaring rental costs for many people in the country.