Well, the lack of rent control in my country, Italy, isn't working either. It has become really, really hard to rent an apartment or even a room in Italian cities (Rome, Milan, Bologna, Turin, at least).

The prices are high and there is a lot of demand. Moreover, the quality of the apartments is really, really low. Landlords ask for a lot of guarantees and finding a room in an apartment can take even multiple turns of interviews.

Of course, leaving nearby the city center is difficult and public transportation is lacking. It is really hell and I really wish rent control existed.