PORTLAND, Maine — Voters in Portland rejected a change in rent control policies on Tuesday night, according to preliminary results.
Under current guidelines, landlords can increase rent by up to five percent when a new tenant moves in. The ballot question, called Question A, sought to repeal that five percent cap.
But Portland voters decided to leave current guidelines in place in a 67 to 33 percent vote.
Those who favored Question A said it would have given landlords greater protections when someone suddenly moved out. Those opposed said, if passed, Question A would have hurt tenants and driven up rents.
"Allowing landlords to raise rents in an unlimited fashion on tenants at the end of a tendency is unacceptable," Maine Democratic Socialists of America Chapter Co-Chair Leo Hilton said. "We're feeling really good tonight and vindicated in our belief that working-class Portlanders know that we're in a tenant's rights crisis and are ready to stand up for their neighbors to make sure that we have safe and affordable places to live."
President of the Rental Housing Alliance of Southern Maine Brit Vitalius expressed concerns over Tuesday's vote.
"Portland voters have fully embraced socialist housing policy and the most extreme rent control in the country. What’s next? We worry where this path will lead, which is to a worse housing crisis," Vitalius said. "Ironically, this result most punishes small mom-and-pop landlords who will exit the market leaving only large corporate landlords and conversions to condos, all of which reduced options for renters. While we know Ethan Strimling is smiling tonight, we are very concerned about the future of Portland."
To view preliminary results, click here. For more information on Question A, click here.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.