Seattle advances ban on RealPage rent-setting algorithm
Seattle's city council advanced legislation to ban RealPage, algorithmic rent-setting software that critics say facilitates landlord collusion to keep rents high. The Department of Justice is also challenging the platform, and multiple lawsuits have been filed against the company.
What happened
Seattle's City Council housing committee advanced a bill to ban landlords from using RealPage, software that compiles proprietary rental information from multiple landlords and uses an algorithm to recommend rent prices to subscribers.
RealPage denies allegations that the platform amounts to collusion among landlords to keep rents high, saying the software is used in pro-competitive ways that benefit the rental housing ecosystem.
Reported impact
Councilmember Cathy Moore cited housing affordability as the motivation for the ban, stating that rising rents caused by the platform were forcing people from their homes.
Census data showed gross rent and utilities costs for Seattle renters increased 66% between 2013 and 2023, though the city's rents remained relatively flat in recent years as new housing supply increased.
Index analysis
Critics argue that RealPage's use of proprietary information from landlords constitutes algorithmic collusion to maintain high rents, going beyond simply aggregating publicly available data.
Governance controls
The housing committee approved the bill 4-0, and the full council was expected to vote on the proposal; landlords requested the council delay the bill and allow ongoing lawsuits against RealPage to continue.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.