Golden State Today

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice and a coalition of 10 bipartisan attorneys general, has filed an amended complaint against RealPage and major property management companies. The lawsuit accuses these entities of participating in a pricing alignment scheme that allegedly raised rents artificially and increased rent revenue nationwide.

The amended complaint identifies five property management companies—Camden, Cushman & Wakefield/Pinnacle, LivCor, Willow Bridge, and Greystar—as defendants. It also includes claims under California's Unfair Competition Law against all involved parties. This legal action follows a previous lawsuit filed by Attorney General Bonta last August against RealPage for its alleged unlawful practices.

Attorney General Bonta stated: "When it comes to reducing the cost of living for Californians, the California Department of Justice is all in. Today’s amended complaint against RealPage and some of the largest property management companies in the country alleges that the companies artificially inflated rent prices and illegally maintained a minimum pricing floor against market trends."

RealPage is accused of using algorithmic models to recommend price increases by collecting sensitive data from competing landlords and sharing it among subscribers. This practice allegedly allowed landlords to set or raise prices uniformly, thus eliminating competition.

The lawsuit claims violations of federal antitrust laws as well as California's Unfair Competition Law by RealPage and the named property management companies.

Joining Attorney General Bonta in this legal action are the U.S. Department of Justice and attorneys general from Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington.