DOJ Sues 6 Landlords Over Alleged Algorithm Rent Pricing Scheme

The landlords allegedly exchanged competitively sensitive information on rents, occupancy rates, and pricing strategies.

The U.S. Department of Justice building in Washington, on June 28, 2023. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

The Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Tuesday that it is suing six large landlords over alleged anticompetitive practices in housing rental markets, expanding the DOJ’s first case alleging algorithmic collusion.

The DOJ and a coalition of states filed the antitrust lawsuit in North Carolina in August 2024, accusing property management software company RealPage of enabling landlords to collude by sharing pricing information through the company’s software, which then recommends rent prices.