Maryland Sues RealPage Over Rent Manipulation

Maryland Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has filed a lawsuit against RealPage, Inc. and eight of the state's largest residential landlords, accusing them of colluding to illegally inflate rent prices for hundreds of thousands of residents. The lawsuit alleges that the landlords allowed RealPage to utilize a centralized pricing algorithm, which resulted in rents being set above competitive rates and costing renters millions. This legal action is part of a broader national scrutiny, with similar lawsuits emerging, including one from the U.S. Justice Department. The suit seeks to halt these anticompetitive practices, appoint a corporate monitor for RealPage, and secure refunds for affected residents. Brown emphasized the need to hold landlords accountable to improve housing affordability in Maryland. The lawsuit names several prominent landlords and claims their actions have exacerbated the state's affordable housing crisis.