Maryland Attorney General Anthony Brown has filed a lawsuit against RealPage software and several prominent landlords for allegedly colluding to fix rental prices in Montgomery County, leading to skyrocketing apartment rents. Despite the increase in new apartment buildings, rents have continued to rise, violating the laws of supply and demand. Brown claims that RealPage software provided a loophole for landlords to coordinate and raise prices across the board. The firms accused of using RealPage for this purpose include Morgan Properties Management Company, LLC; Bozzuto Management Company; Greystar Management Services, LLC; AvalonBay Communities, Inc.; UDR, Inc.; and Highmark Residential, LLC. Brown is seeking monetary damages for impacted renters, the State of Maryland, and wants the alleged use of RealPage to fix rents to cease. Additionally, he is calling for the appointment of a corporate monitor to ensure compliance by RealPage and the accused firms. Brown stated, “RealPage and the named landlords worked together to raise the cost of their apartments, making it hard for Maryland renters to put a roof over their heads.” The lawsuit aims to hold landlords accountable and ensure that Maryland residents can afford their rent.
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