OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – State Attorney General Bob Ferguson has joined a lawsuit against a real estate software company over an illegal rent price scheme.

The lawsuit, filed alongside the Department of Justice (DOJ), alleges the company is violating antitrust laws through its algorithm that landlords use to get recommended rental prices.

DOJ officials allege the algorithm allows landlords to align their prices and avoid competition that would otherwise keep rents down.

In a statement, RealPage said the claims were devoid of merit and will do nothing to make housing more affordable.

RealPage came under scrutiny after a 2022 ProPublica investigation into the company’s practice suggested that it could be to blame for some of the rapid increases in housing costs.

According to lawsuits filed in the past year by other attorneys general, RealPage uses confidential data that RealPage’s clients have agreed to share privately.