Written by a team of tenant organizers, policy advocates, lawyers, and researchers, this report serves as a toolkit for any group of organizers or advocates who are starting—or continuing— campaigns for rent control. It affirms what the housing justice movement has argued for decades: that reliance on the private market alone—and, more importantly, deregulation—will not solve our growing affordable housing needs or even help replace the rapid loss of lower-rent housing. Furthermore, it offers robust data, policy guidance, strategic thinking, and on-the-ground learnings to support campaigns seeking pathways to build power for rent control and beyond. The report consists of five sections:

• What is Rent Control?
• Understanding the Battleground
• Why Rent Control
• Inoculation Toolkit: Responses to Common Arguments Against Rent Control
• Guide to Winning Rent Control