In Massachusetts, like so many other states, housing affordability is one of the top political issues that will reshape the elections come this November.
Rather than examining their own policies or local communities’ refusal to accept or build new housing, state legislators have convinced themselves that greedy landlords, aided by property management software, are the real culprits.
Bills in both the Massachusetts House and Senate would outlaw “algorithmic rent-pricing software” like RealPage and Yardi, used by property owners to administer their leasing contracts. This software is used to manage vacancies, communicate with tenants, and update rental contracts based on valuations and market conditions.
New Jersey signed a similar ban into law earlier this month, and three other blue states already have their own versions on the books. These bans follow a 2024 lawsuit by the Department of Justice and blue state AGs against RealPage for alleged collusion.
