Choose your best solution for Southern California’s rent mess — from construction to caps — because amid all the housing-supply debate, local tenants saw some of the highest rent hikes in the U.S. last year, the Consumer Price Index shows.

New inflation data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows renters in Los Angeles and Orange counties suffered the second-largest increases in the cost of renting last year — 5.5%. Meanwhile, Inland Empire tenants saw rents up 4.5%, the No. 5 hike.

The CPI’s rent-cost measurement is derived from a survey of consumers on their spending habits vs. other metrics taken from polls of landlords’ pricing activity. The bureau currently tracks local rents in 23 major metropolitan areas.

My trusty spreadsheet tells me rents are up by noteworthy amounts in many places. The cost of renting a primary residence nationally was up 3.7% in 2019. This was the sixth consecutive year rent inflation topped 3%, the longest streak of hikes of such size since 1991. National leader for surging rents? Phoenix, up 6.4%.

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It wasn’t much better in 2018. U.S. rents rose 3.6%, when the national leader was Seattle, up 6.5%.

Starting last year, the bureau’s economist split its rent-cost analysis in the region between the four Southern California counties. Previously, it was done with one index that showed rents in L.A., Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties for 2018 up 4.9% — No. 6 among the metros tracked.

Elsewhere in California, rent hikes were significant but milder. San Francisco-Oakland rents rose 3.5% last year, No. 9 among metros tracked. In 2018, rents rose 5.3% — No. 5 nationally. San Diego rents rose 3.6% last year, No. 8 among metros tracked. In 2018, rents were up 5.5% — No. 4 nationally.

So what’s a California cure?

Well, a rent control law called Assembly Bill 1482 took effect this year to curb huge rent hikes. Most landlords are limited to rent increases of 5%, plus the local rate of inflation. They’ll also need “just cause” to evict a tenant in good standing.

Critics claim rent control lowers the investment value of rentals and stymies new construction. Others have suggested the law motivated property owners to raise rents in advance of the AB 1482’s Jan. 1 implementation.

OK, then let’s build and offer Californians more housing options, right?

Census Bureau data on empty housing units, rentals and ownership tell us that through 2018, 6.4% of California units were vacant last decade. That’s below the 10% national vacancy rate and California’s 8% average in 1990-2010.

Folks looking for a boost to multi-family construction as one way to lower rents have revived Senate Bill 50, a law that would make it easier to get dense, urban properties built faster.

Yet critics of this law — many of whom curiously also oppose rent controls — argue this kind of building boom would hurt neighboring owners. An odd twist on property right infers that owners have a perverse right to prevent communities from changing to one filled with densely populated rentals.

Probably the best salve would be a mash-up of many ideas. But that would require true leadership, compromise … and sacrifice for many parties. A guy can dream, no?

But do not forget for all the talk about inaction, the status quo serves landlords well. Limited competition — that’s construction — keeps their income — that’s rents — growing swiftly, boosting their bottom lines plus the value of their rental assets.

For example, one index tracking shares in major U.S. apartment owners showed those stocks surging 340% in the 2010s, easily outpacing the decade’s 253% gain for the entire stock market.