Company that makes rent-setting software for landlords sued for collusion
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Renters submitted a lawsuit this 7 days alleging that a organization that helps make selling price-setting program for apartments and nine of the nation’s largest property professionals formed a cartel to artificially inflate rents in violation of federal regulation.
The lawsuit was submitted times soon after ProPublica revealed an investigation boosting worries that the computer software, marketed by Texas-primarily based RealPage, is possibly pushing lease prices previously mentioned aggressive ranges, facilitating cost-repairing, or each.
The proposed course-action lawsuit was submitted in US District Court in San Diego.
In an electronic mail, a RealPage agent stated that the firm “strongly denies the allegations and will vigorously defend towards the lawsuit.” She declined to remark further, expressing the company does not remark on pending litigation.
The 9 property administrators named in the lawsuit did not respond promptly to a request for remark.
They included some of the nation’s largest landlords, these types of as Greystar, Lincoln Assets Organization, Equity Residential, Mid-The united states Condominium Communities, and FPI Management—which alongside one another control hundreds of countless numbers of residences.
Four of the five renters named in the suit ended up Greystar tenants. A fifth rented from Safety Properties. Their flats were found in San Diego, San Francisco, and two Washington point out metropolitan areas, Redmond and Everett.
The lawsuit accused the residence professionals and RealPage of forming “a cartel to artificially inflate the price of and artificially decrease the source and output of multifamily household serious estate leases from aggressive amounts.”
RealPage’s software package takes advantage of an algorithm to churn through a trove of facts each and every evening to advise each day costs for obtainable rental models. The program takes advantage of not only information about the condominium becoming priced and the house exactly where it is positioned, but also personal information on what nearby rivals are charging in rents. The software package considers precise rents paid to people rivals—not just what they are promoting, the firm informed ProPublica.
