Unless they are used as

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TopicsMust be True

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Stimulus

Unless they are used as strictly temporary measures, rent-control ordinances (municipal regulations placing limits on rent increases) have several negative effects for renters. One of these is that the controls will bring about a shortage of rental units. This disadvantage for renters occurs over the long run, but the advantage—smaller rent increases—occurs the desire for short-term gain that guides those tenants in the exercise of that power.

What this question is testing

Must be True

Premises

Two key claims. First: rent control, if not strictly temporary, causes a shortage of rental units in the long run. Second: in municipalities where renters control politics, they always vote for the short-term win — meaning they'll keep rent control going for the immediate benefit, even though it'll cause a shortage later.

Anticipate

Stitch them together. Those municipalities will have rent control on a non-temporary basis (because tenants keep voting for it). That means those municipalities will eventually have a shortage of rental units.

Think of it like eating dessert before dinner every night because it tastes good now. Eventually, you'll be malnourished — that's the long-term cost the short-term thinking ignores.

Goal

An answer that says: in many municipalities, there will be a shortage of rental units, now or eventually.

Reading along? Open the full official question in LawHub — we show a fragment here and keep the reasoning in our own words.

The question

11.

If the statements above are true, which one of the following can be properly

Answer choices

Too Strong4% picked this
It is impossible for landlords to raise rents when rent controls
"Impossible" is much too strong. The stimulus says rent control places limits on rent increases, not that it stops landlords from raising rent at all. Smaller increases still happen.
4%
Unsupported11% picked this
In many municipalities rent-control ordinances are repealed as soon as shortages of
The stimulus says tenants in those municipalities are guided by short-term gain. Repealing rent control once a shortage hits would be a long-term decision, not a short-term one. There's no support for the idea that municipalities repeal rent control as soon as shortages arise — if anything, the short-term mindset suggests the opposite.
11%
Too Strong3% picked this
The only negative effect of rent control for renters is that it brings about a
The stimulus says "several negative effects" of rent control, with shortages being just one. So shortages are not the only negative effect. This answer contradicts the stimulus.
3%
Correct62% picked this
In many municipalities there is now, or eventually will be, a shortage
Why this is right
This is what we can derive. In tenant-controlled municipalities, the short-term mindset means rent control gets enacted (or maintained) on a non-temporary basis. Non-temporary rent control causes long-term shortages. So those municipalities will, sooner or later, face a shortage of rental units. Since those municipalities are described as "many" (in all those where tenants control politics), this conclusion follows.
Skill tested: Must be True · how this choice captures the argument's function is the move to repeat next time.
62%
Unsupported20% picked this
In the long term, a shortage of rental units will raise
The stimulus says rent control causes shortages and limits rent increases — but it doesn't say shortages will raise rents substantially in the long term. The stimulus describes negative effects without specifying that the long-term outcome is high rents.
20%

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