The Real Reason the Rent Is Too Damn High: Greed-Driven Corporate Algorithms

A common explanation for high rent prices is the basic economic principle of supply and demand: when there are more renters than available apartments, landlords can charge more because tenants have fewer options.

This is especially true in cities where housing construction has not kept up with population growth.

For example, in many U.S.

markets, the number of renters competing for a limited number of units has pushed prices upward.

While this explanation holds some truth, it does not fully account for why rents are higher than they would be in a truly competitive market.

The article suggests that other factors, such as corporate power and pricing strategies, also play a significant role in driving up costs beyond what scarcity alone would justify.