(Fox 8-WGHP) North Carolina Attorney General suing 6 landlords accused of hiking rent rates

Affordable housing is something every family deserves, but for many across North Carolina, rising rent costs have made it harder than ever to find a place to call home. That’s why North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson is taking action.

This week, Attorney General Jackson, joined by the U.S. Department of Justice and nine other states, filed a lawsuit against six major landlords accused of using pricing algorithms to inflate rent prices. These landlords, managing over 70,000 units across the state, allegedly worked with RealPage, a software company, to share private rent-related data and coordinate price increases. If true, these actions would violate antitrust laws by artificially pushing rent costs beyond what the competitive market would normally allow.

“North Carolinians are struggling to afford their rent as it is,” Jackson said. “We won’t stand for landlords and real estate companies making the problem worse to line their own pockets.”

This lawsuit is a step toward ensuring fairness in housing and holding landlords accountable for practices that harm residents. At Greensboro Housing Coalition, we believe in the importance of protecting renters and promoting transparency in the housing market. Everyone deserves access to safe, affordable housing without worrying about unfair rent hikes.

Original article: https://myfox8.com/news/politics/nc/north-carolina-attorney-general-suing-6-landlords-accused-of-hiking-rent-rates/