Georgia Once Had Rent Control. Later, The State Banned The Policy

This week, the Atlanta City Council made a request to the Georgia Legislature. In a 14 to 1 vote, council members passed a resolution asking state lawmakers to get rid of a law prohibiting rent control in Georgia.

The ban on rent control has been on the books since the 1980s, a time when real estate lobbyists traveled the country requesting states preempt local rent regulations. But the history of rent control in Georgia goes back to World War II. In that era, the federal government imposed rent ceilings around the country, including in Atlanta.

In a conversation with “Morning Edition” host Lisa Rayam, WABE reporter Stephannie Stokes discussed the history of rent control and how Georgia became one of about 30 states to formally outlaw the now-contentious policy.