Everyone is wondering what rent control looks like. What about a law that limits rent increases year to year? Essentially, you can't increase rent more than 10% each year. Also maybe require longer than 45 days notice for an increase? 90 days seems better.

Essentually, if you are paying $1000, they can't increase your rent by more than $100 for your next lease. The law could have exceptions for renovated properties if the improvements justify the additional increase.

So landlords of new units can charge the rent they want, there's no arbitrary price to meet, but once you're renting out a place, you can't suddenly hike prices to crazy levels.

If you started with a $700 one bedroom unit 5 years ago, rent increasing 10% each year would end up at about $1,125 today. That more or less keeps up with the market, but you don't get completely boned as a renter.

I dunno though, as previous posters said, there's no magic bullet.