The Justice Department has filed an antitrust lawsuit against real estate company RealPage for using its technology to enable landlords to collude to raise rent prices.U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland announced the suit in a press conference Wednesday, saying RealPage’s illegal price-fixing practices push rents higher than they would be if landlords were pricing them competitively.
Using software as the sharing mechanism does not immunize this scheme from Sherman Act liability, and the Justice Department will continue to aggressively enforce the antitrust laws and protect the American people from those who violate them.