DOJ Settles with RealPage over Its Software’s Alleged Rent Price Fixing

Why It Matters

The deal curtails a tool that could artificially inflate rental prices, potentially lowering housing costs for tenants and reshaping how property‑management software operates under antitrust scrutiny.

Summary

The U.S. Department of Justice has reached a settlement with RealPage, the landlord‑software provider accused of facilitating rent‑price fixing by sharing competitors’ data. Under the agreement, RealPage must restrict its algorithm to use only data that is at least 12 months old, eliminate features that nudge landlords to match or raise rents, and cease offering hyper‑localized pricing recommendations. The settlement, pending court approval, follows an antitrust lawsuit alleging the platform coordinated rent increases across competing properties. RealPage denies wrongdoing but will be barred from using competitively sensitive information to set rents.