Trump Says US Will Ban Large Investors From Buying Single-Family Homes

President Donald Trump on Jan. 7 announced he’s taking steps to bar large investors from purchasing more single-family homes, in a bid to offset concerns about inflation and the cost of living.

“For a very long time, buying and owning a home was considered the pinnacle of the American Dream. It was the reward for working hard, and doing the right thing,” Trump wrote. “But now … that American Dream is increasingly out of reach for far too many people, especially younger Americans.”

Trump said he would be “immediately taking steps to ban large institutional investors from buying more single-family homes” and will recommend that Congress codify his decision, he wrote on Truth Social.

In his announcement, the president did not go into details about what his plan might look like or what companies may be barred from purchasing single-family homes. The move will likely face legal challenges from companies seeking to purchase homes.

Over the past decade, private equity companies, real estate investment firms, and other large institutional investors have purchased increasingly larger portfolios of single-family homes across the United States, which places pressure on rents and home prices, according to analysts with the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Policy Development and Research.

Blackstone is considered the largest private-equity owner of U.S. apartments, with more than 230,000 units, according to data from the Private Equity Stakeholder Project as of April 2025. The second-largest owner of apartments was Greystar, with 138,000 units, and a number of other companies own at least 50,000 units each.

“People live in homes, not corporations. I will discuss this topic, including further Housing and Affordability proposals, and more, at my speech in Davos in two weeks,” Trump said, referring to the World Economic Forum’s summit in Davos, Switzerland, between Jan. 19 and Jan. 23.

Trump’s social media post comes as the administration has pivoted to more economic-focused messaging in the wake of Democratic Party wins in New Jersey, Virginia, and New York City in November 2025’s off-year elections.

Last month, Trump visited a Mount Pocono casino in northeastern Pennsylvania and said that his economic policies, including his imposition of widespread tariffs on imports, are creating jobs, boosting the stock market, and attracting increased investment into the United States.

“I have no higher priority than making America affordable again,” Trump said, adding that his administration has brought down gasoline prices, energy costs, and the price of eggs.

Democrats have said that the Trump administration’s policies, including the wide imposition of tariffs, are increasing inflation and causing economic strain for American families.

“As families across the country spend more to pay their bills and put food on the table, Democrats and Republicans should be working together to lower costs. Instead, President Trump is pushing ahead with reckless tariffs that continue to fuel inflation and drive prices up even higher,” Sen. Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Joint Economic Committee, said in a statement in November.

Reuters contributed to this report.