PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — Oregon and Washington attorneys general have joined other states and federal officials in suing a software firm accused of helping landlords fix rent prices.
The Department of Justice announced on Friday that the agency and eight states — California, Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, North Carolina, Tennessee, Oregon and Washington — joined forces for a civil antitrust lawsuit against RealPage.
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DOJ reported that property managers send “nonpublic, competitively sensitive information” to the national company that then uses the data to determine rental costs and other terms. Officials argued that this practice minimizes competition among landlords who would otherwise compete for new tenants by offering different prices, concessions, lease terms, etc.
In a statement, Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum asserted that RealPage’s practices impact the “fair rental market” and violate the 1890 Sherman Act — which aims to encourage competition among business owners.