when you believe one outlandish thing, it's easy to be convinced of others. On top of that one of the main tools religions have is fear. Make people believe in some horrible fate, then convince them the only way to avoid that fate is through doing exactly as you say.
good, less landlords.
Not only would freezing rent show us which people suck, but it will force the people who suck to sell their extra properties, since if they won't use them then the property is just losing them money.
I'll just steal the wheel and reinvent it later