BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – Voters in Bellingham could soon decide on a new initiative aiming to protect renters against artificial price hikes.

Community First Whatcom is gathering signatures for its latest initiative that seeks to ban what it deems “algorithmic price fixing.”

If approved, it would prohibit landlords from working together to set rent prices.

It would also ban the use of paid algorithmic software that analyzes both public and private rental market data to recommend prices or terms of leases.

The nonprofit has launched several successful initiatives, most recently in Ferndale to eliminate so-called “junk fees” for renters and in Bellingham to add new tenant protections.

It comes after the state attorney general’s office sued software company RealPage and several King County landlords last year, accusing them of using an algorithm to artificially raise rent prices.

Community First Whatcom will need to gather at least 3,167 signatures to place the initiative on the November general election ballot.