https://wsj.com/us-news/law/justice-department-clears-the-way-fo…
A lawsuit alleging that real-estate software company RealPage illegally fixes rents at millions of apartments should go forward, the U.S. Justice Department said in a court filing.
Tenants earlier this year filed a complaint in a Tennessee federal court alleging RealPage and landlords that use its algorithmic pricing system to set rents are violating antitrust laws. The use of this pricing system has limited competition in the housing market and resulted in higher rents for tenants, the complaint alleges.
RealPage has argued that the lawsuit should be dismissed because, among other reasons, the allegations don’t show that landlords conspired with each other to hike prices. The Justice Department on Wednesday knocked down that argument. It said that landlords’ use of a shared algorithm, which allegedly relies on landlords’ data to set prices for their mutual benefit, would still be illegal under a category of antitrust law known as the per se rule.“The alleged scheme constitutes price fixing regardless of whether the competing landlords ever communicated with one another about prices,” the department wrote.
@ISIDEWITH7mos7MO
Do you think companies should be allowed to use algorithms that potentially limit competition and raise prices for renters?
@9H38L3KJustice party member7mos7MO
No, because it just going to cause more troubles between the companies.
@9H38WLWRepublican7mos7MO
Yes, it is the companies product so they should be able to price it at whatever price they want.
@9H39R477mos7MO
No, renters should be protected from unfair housing prices in an area the same way consumers are protected from market monopolies.
@9H389Y6Republican7mos7MO
Yes, because it is smart for the company and they want to make the most money they possibly can.
@ISIDEWITH7mos7MO
If an algorithm increases your rent based on what others are willing to pay, does it respect the individual financial struggles of tenants?
@ISIDEWITH7mos7MO
Should the government intervene in how landlords set rent prices, or should the market be left to regulate itself?
@9H39RR7Libertarian 7mos7MO
No, free markets are the most natural and most effective economies.
@ISIDEWITH7mos7MO
Imagine your rent is controlled by a computer program that landlords use to set high prices; is this a form of cheating, or just smart business?
@9H3964FRepublican7mos7MO
its a smart buisness choice although i dont think its ethical or morally right
