Re:DOJ Files Antitrust Suit Against RealPage, Maker of Rent-...
by Forge36 on Monday August 26, 2024 @11:26AM
(#41358075)
Legally it depends (I am not a lawyer)
The DOJ is likely to pursue this as collusion[1] which had legal precedent.
In this case: both parties intentional gathered to review prices together (through use of a third party).
Some bits from the article RealPage allowed landlords to "share confidential data" and "to suggest rents and term".
I don't know to what degree suggestions were made. If they were consistently suggesting increases: It's may be less similar to "looking at your competitor" and more "competitors agreeing to continuously notify each other of a price increase"
If it's also sharing occupancy statistics notification of an inelastic market could also be a contributing factor.
The DOJ is likely to pursue this as collusion[1] which had legal precedent.
In this case: both parties intentional gathered to review prices together (through use of a third party).
Some bits from the article RealPage allowed landlords to "share confidential data" and "to suggest rents and term".
I don't know to what degree suggestions were made. If they were consistently suggesting increases: It's may be less similar to "looking at your competitor" and more "competitors agreeing to continuously notify each other of a price increase"
If it's also sharing occupancy statistics notification of an inelastic market could also be a contributing factor.
[1]: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/assistant-attorney-general-jo...