Justice Department Sues Tech Firm Over Allegations of Rent Collusion Among Landlords

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Justice, along with eight state attorneys general, filed a lawsuit against RealPage, a prominent provider of property management software. This legal move challenges the company’s practices which, according to the DOJ, enabled landlords across the nation to coordinate on setting higher rents, affecting millions of tenants in the process. RealPage, based in Richardson, Texas, offers software that manages approximately 16 million rental units, primarily in the Sun Belt and Southern United States. The federal lawsuit, which was lodged in a North Carolina federal court, claims that RealPage holds a … Read more

Charlotte Faces Rent Hike Allegations Amid Federal Price-Fixing Lawsuit Against Software Giant RealPage

Charlotte, N.C. — In an innovative legal challenge highlighting the evolving intersection of technology and antitrust laws, the U.S. Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against RealPage, a software company accused of artificially inflating apartment rents through its advanced data algorithms. This suit, alleging price fixing, claims the company has violated antitrust laws by manipulating rental price recommendations across several U.S. metropolitan areas, including Charlotte. The federal suit contends that RealPage’s software collects sensitive rental data from apartment managers and uses this to set higher rental prices than the market would typically dictate. This is … Read more

Landmark Lawsuit Claims Tech Software Sparked Nationwide Rent Collusion Scandal

Washington — In a landmark case, federal regulators have filed a lawsuit against a leading technology company, alleging its software tools facilitated unlawful rent collusion among large U.S. property management firms. The case highlights growing concerns around the use of automated technology in setting rental prices across the nation. According to documents filed in court this week, the software in question purportedly allowed companies to share sensitive rental pricing information with each other. This process allegedly enabled a pattern of price-fixing, artificially inflating costs for renters and violating antitrust laws aimed at protecting free market … Read more

Justice Department Targets RealPage Inc. in Lawsuit, Alleging Rent Price-Fixing Scheme Using Advanced Algorithms

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Justice Department has launched a significant legal battle against RealPage Inc., a prominent real estate software firm, for allegedly manipulating rental market prices through its pricing algorithm. In a concerted effort with multiple state attorneys general from regions including North Carolina and California, the federal agency has charged the company with breaching antitrust laws, potentially leading to unjustifiably high rents for millions of Americans. According to the lawsuit, RealPage’s platform enables landlords nationwide to synchronize their rental pricing strategies, diminishing the competitive practices that typically help keep housing costs in check. … Read more