Groundwork’s Owens Calls on Governor Polis to Prioritize Colorado Families Over Corporate Landlords
Groundwork’s Owens Calls on Governor Polis to Prioritize Colorado Families Over Corporate Landlords
Colorado Governor Jared Polis yesterday vetoed HB25-1004, a bill that would restrict the use of algorithmic rent-setting software like RealPage in rental housing markets. RealPage, along with six large corporate landlords, was sued by the Department of Justice and 10 state Attorneys General for participating in anti-competitive pricing schemes harming renters.
Groundwork Collaborative’s Executive Director Lindsay Owens reacted with the following statement:
“RealPage’s pricing schemes and collusive behavior stifle competition, drive up rent, and rip off working families. Anyone concerned about the cost of living and the affordability of housing should support an outright ban on these practices. Governor Polis should be prioritizing the Colorado families who are struggling with higher rent costs over corporate landlords and tech companies.”
BACKGROUND
- A January 2025 investigation from The Washington Post revealed the depth and breadth of RealPage’s influence on the multifamily housing market – more than 4.5 million housing units are owned by landlords who use RealPage.
- RealPage’s pricing software and practices facilitate collusive behavior in the rental housing market by helping corporate landlords tacitly raise rents in lockstep with one another.
- RealPage’s tactics are not restricted to software. They hold in-person meetings where users of the software, corporate landlords in most cases, hear lectures about the need to “push up new and renewal pricing.” A team of RealPage staff places tens of thousands of calls every week to landlords across the country to gather nonpublic information on rent prices, occupancy rates, lease terms, and more.
- Last year, the Department of Justice and eight other states sued software company RealPage for its alleged efforts to decrease competition among landlords and collude on prices in the rental housing market. The legal complaint filed includes shocking new details that confirm what many have suspected: RealPage’s algorithm has fueled high rent prices. An amended and updated complaint was filed by the DOJ and ten states in January 2025.
- RealPage is under fire for its lobbying efforts after House Republicans included a provision in its tax bill that would block state and local efforts to protect renters from artificial price hikes powered by AI pricing tools. Sen. Elizabeth Warren led a letter to RealPage demanding answers about their campaign and how the company benefits from the provision.
- Across the country, RealPage has data on roughly 16 million rental units. In one Seattle neighborhood, 70 percent of multifamily apartments were priced using software sold by RealPage — software that helps those corporate landlords set prices above market rates.
