Rent control rules in Fargo, ND — also known as rent stabilization or rent cap ordinances — limit annual rent increases and protect tenants from displacement.
North Dakota Century Code §47-16-07.3, enacted in 2017, preempts any city or county from adopting rent-control ordinances, so Fargo cannot cap rent increases on private residential rental property.
NDCC §47-16-07.3 prohibits political subdivisions from enacting any ordinance, resolution, or regulation that controls rent on private residential property. The 2017 preemption was passed before any ND city had attempted rent stabilization, and it forecloses Fargo from doing so even amid rapid rent growth tied to NDSU enrollment and energy-sector workforce demand. Federally subsidized housing and voluntary regulatory agreements remain unaffected, but for typical market-rate units the landlord can set initial rent and raise it at the end of a lease term without a city-imposed ceiling.
Because Fargo has no rent-control ordinance, there is no local violation to cite; tenants concerned about rent increases must rely on lease terms, fair-housing law, or relocation when leases end.
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See how Fargo's rent control rules stack up against other locations.
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