Renters in the U.S. are claiming that landlords are using software to inflate rent prices, with one tenant alleging that the software removes empathy from the equation. The 527-unit building in Jersey City, New Jersey, has tenants involved in a class-action lawsuit against RealPage and other landlords, with accusations of violating the Sherman Antitrust Act. The software, YieldStar, is designed to optimize pricing, occupancy, and lease lengths, ultimately increasing landlord revenues. While RealPage maintains that landlords are not required to follow its pricing suggestions, tenants argue that the software results in artificially high rents in the market.
https://www.cnbc.com/2024/02/03/realpage-antitrust-lawsuits-allege-collusion-among-corporate-landlords.html