PHOENIX, AZ – Attorney General Kris Mayes has urged U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to continue the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) antitrust lawsuit against RealPage, Inc. and major corporate landlords for allegedly using an algorithmic price-fixing scheme to artificially inflate rents.
“Millions of renters—including many in Arizona’s two largest cities—have been harmed by this unlawful conduct,” Mayes wrote in her letter to Bondi. “This scheme stifled competition, created a de facto rental monopoly, and drove up housing costs for working families. That’s why my office sued nine corporate landlords and RealPage for price-fixing in Arizona. But this is a national crisis, which is why the DOJ and 10 other states also took legal action. The federal lawsuit must continue.”
How RealPage Allegedly Raised Rents
Mayes and other officials allege that RealPage’s pricing algorithm allowed landlords to coordinate rent increases, limiting competition and leading to dramatic spikes in rental prices:
- Rents in Phoenix are 76% higher since 2016.
- Rents in Tucson have increased 30% in the past few years.
- Nationally, rents have risen 19% since 2019.
- RealPage’s software impacted 3.1 million market-rate rental units nationwide, according to legal filings.
Mayes Calls for DOJ to See the Case Through
“I intend to press forward with the case I filed in Arizona against RealPage, but I also urge the Trump administration, through the DOJ, to see its case through,” Mayes stated.
She emphasized that RealPage and its co-conspirators engaged in unfair and anticompetitive practices that forced renters to pay artificially high prices at a time when many families are already struggling.
Arizona Lawsuit Continues Regardless of DOJ Decision
Mayes reassured Arizonans that her independent lawsuit against RealPage and nine corporate landlords will move forward, regardless of the DOJ’s decision.
By pursuing a state-level case, Mayes aims to hold RealPage and its affiliated landlords accountable and seek relief for Arizona renters impacted by alleged price-fixing.
The Arizona Attorney General’s Office continues to investigate predatory practices in the housing market, urging tenants who believe they were affected to report concerns.
