South Raleigh News

Today, Attorney General Jeff Jackson initiated legal action against six landlords for allegedly collaborating with the software company RealPage to unlawfully increase rent prices in North Carolina. The accused landlords include Greystar Real Estate Partners LLC, Blackstone’s LivCor LLC, Camden Property Trust, Cushman & Wakefield Inc., Pinnacle Property Management Services LLC, Willow Bridge Property Company LLC, and Cortland Management LLC. Collectively, these entities manage over 70,000 rental units across the state.

"North Carolinians are struggling to afford their rent as it is – we won’t stand for landlords and real estate companies making the problem worse to line their own pockets," stated Attorney General Jeff Jackson. "I’m suing these landlords to make sure they play by the rules so North Carolinians can get fair prices for rent."

This lawsuit forms part of an ongoing bipartisan effort against RealPage. The allegations suggest that RealPage exploited sensitive information from landlords to develop a pricing algorithm that breaches antitrust laws. This practice purportedly led to renters facing inflated costs. The case claims that landlords exchanged non-public data about rental rates and strategies with each other and RealPage, resulting in higher rents than those determined by market competition.

It is alleged that approximately one-third of one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments in the Raleigh, Durham/Chapel Hill, and Charlotte areas have rents set using RealPage's algorithm. This conduct reportedly disadvantages both tenants who struggle with rising rental costs and honest landlords adhering to regulations.

Attorney General Jackson has filed this lawsuit in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Justice and Attorneys General from several states including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, Tennessee, and Washington.

A copy of the complaint is available for public access.