The Massachusetts Attorney General's Office has joined forces with the U.S. Department of Justice in an antitrust lawsuit against RealPage and several major landlords. This legal action, which began with a complaint in August 2024, accuses these entities of engaging in algorithmic pricing schemes that harm renters by reducing competition.
The amended complaint targets five prominent landlords: Greystar Real Estate Partners LLC, Blackstone’s LivCor LLC, Camden Property Trust, Cushman & Wakefield Inc and Pinnacle Property Management Services LLC, and Willow Bridge Property Company LLC. These companies are accused of participating in unlawful practices affecting over 1.3 million housing units across 43 states and Washington D.C.
Massachusetts is collaborating with the Department of Justice to address claims against five out of six landlords mentioned in the case. A proposed consent decree could potentially resolve claims against Cortland Management LLC if approved by the court. The decree would mandate Cortland to cease using competitors’ data for rent-setting models and refrain from sharing sensitive information.
RealPage faces allegations under Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act as well as violations of Massachusetts consumer protection laws due to its role in facilitating unfair competitive methods through data sharing among competitors.
Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell stated, “As residents continue to grapple with rising costs including high rents, our office will seek to hold accountable those who betray renters’ trust and undermine a fair and competitive housing market.” Acting Assistant Attorney General Doha Mekki highlighted that the action seeks to curb practices prioritizing profits over affordable housing for millions nationwide.
The lawsuit details how landlords used each other’s competitively sensitive information via pricing algorithms provided by RealPage. Alleged tactics include direct communications about rental strategies between senior managers, conducting "market surveys" or "call arounds" for sharing sensitive data, participating in user groups hosted by RealPage for discussing software modifications, and sharing information on software parameters.
In addition to Massachusetts, other states joining as co-plaintiffs include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington. The Massachusetts Attorney General's Office aims to terminate these illegal activities while restoring market competition and imposing civil penalties up to $5,000 per violation committed by defendants.
Assistant Attorney General Katherine Krems and Deputy Division Chief Jennifer Greaney from AG Campbell’s Antitrust Division are handling this matter for Massachusetts.