Services 4 — End Rental Price-Fixing

Press

State lawmaker takes measures to prevent rent fixing from algorithms in Illinois

The bill filed by Rep. Lilian Jiménez (D-Chicago) will stop landlords and property management businesses from using computer systems and algorithms to set rent prices. Jimenez said the rent price should be made by the people, not computers.
Minnesota lawmakers push to ban rent algorithms, prompting student, faculty reactions

Rent price algorithms have increased rent prices in the Twin Cities Metro Area by an average of $27 per month, dominating the rental market in student housing areas like Dinkytown, Seven Corners, Stadium Village and Prospect Park, according to the Minnesota Legislature.
Two bills to make life easier for renters are headed to NM House floor

House Bill 215, sponsored by Reps. Andrea Romero (D-Santa Fe) and Angelica Romero (D-Las Cruces), prohibits the use of artificial intelligence to manipulate rent prices. The bill seeks to prevent out-of-state companies from using an algorithm to coordinate rent prices, which has been done in other areas with housing shortages.
Bipartisan bill introduced to ban algorithms, AI-based rental price fixing

Rep. Todd Achilles, D-Boise, and Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, got approval to introduce a bill in the House State Affairs Committee that would ban competing companies from sharing private data in order to fix prices using an algorithm or artificial intelligence.
Minneapolis City Council Introduces Ordinance to Ban Rent Price-Fixing Algorithms Amid Housing Affordability Push

In an effort to tackle the undercurrents of a competitive housing market increasingly influenced by technology, Minneapolis officials have taken a stand against controversial rent price-fixing algorithms.
Hochul Looks to Ban Algorithm-Based Rent Price Fixing in New York

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul wants to ban the use of real estate management software that sets rent prices via algorithm—what federal prosecutors say can amount to collusion that artificially inflates rents during a nation-wide housing crisis.
Colorado lawmakers eye crackdown on rent-setting algorithms

Renters in metro Denver spent an extra $136 a month in 2023 because of pricing algorithms used by landlords, the second-steepest hike among major metros nationwide.
Philadelphia Becomes Second Major U.S. City To Ban Algorithmic Rent-Setting Software

The city council passed the ordinance with a veto-proof unanimous vote.
Big Cities Take Up Fight Against Algorithm-Based Rents

Two progressive policy-advocacy groups, Local Progress and the American Economic Liberties Project, drafted a memo earlier this year that formed the basis for antirent-software ordinances passed in San Francisco and Philadelphia.
Lawmakers advance bill to ban landlords’ use of rent-setting software

New Jersey would become the first state in the nation to prohibit landlords from using algorithmic software to set rent prices and reduce competition under legislation an Assembly panel advanced Thursday.
New bill would give Philly the green light to sue landlords for price-fixing rental rates

Philadelphia City Council is weighing legislation that would formally bar landlords from “price-fixing” rental rates, an illegal practice housing advocates say hurts low-income renters by undermining competition and fairness in the marketplace.
Lawmakers target controversial algorithms used by landlords to set rents

The New Jersey lawmakers sponsoring the bill — Sens. Brian Stack (D-Hudson) and Teresa Ruiz (D-Essex) — say their concerns lie with the supply of affordable housing, skyrocketing rent prices, and landlords using software to “collude” and raise prices across the state.
Hoping to cut San Francisco rents, supervisors approve software-pricing ban

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a ban on software for suggesting rent prices and occupancy levels on Tuesday, in a first-in-the-nation move that proponents hope will lower rental costs in the city.
State AGs ramp up scrutiny of alleged price-fixing in rental housing

State and federal investigations, along with nascent pieces of legislation to crack down on the practice, could affect millions of tenants who have seen rents skyrocket in the past few years as private companies market their algorithms to corporate landlords.
Bill Seeks To Prevent Colorado Landlords From Using Algorithms To Set Rent

Renting an apartment in the metro Denver area has become so difficult for the average renter that one state lawmaker is trying to prevent landlords from using “algorithmic devices” like RealPage’s Yieldstar or Yardi’s Revenue IQ to fix the market to the disadvantage of renters.