Economic Liberties Applauds WA Senate For Advancing a Ban on Algorithmic Rent-Fixing in Housing Market
Washington, D.C. — Following news that the Washington State Senate has advanced SB5469, a bill designed to ban algorithmic rent fixing and noncompete agreements in the rental housing market—sponsored by Sen. Jesse Saloman and passed with a 29-19 vote—the American Economic Liberties Project released the following statement.
“Housing should be priced by supply and demand, not secretive algorithms designed to facilitate collusion at renters’ expense,” said Pat Garofalo, Director of State and Local Policy at the American Economic Liberties Project. “Rental price-fixing technology isn’t just unfair—it’s a form of algorithm-driven price coordination that mirrors anti-competitive practices in other industries. These algorithms don’t create value—they extract wealth from renters while corporate landlords post record-high profits. Washington legislators see that if we want a fair and competitive housing market, closing this loophole should be a no-brainer.”
The use of third-party platforms like RealPage and Yardi across the country has led to double-digit rent increases in some markets – boosting landlord profits while driving up housing costs, and exacerbating the housing crisis and financial insecurity for average Americans. Washington State now stands on the precipice of joining San Francisco and Philadelphia, where municipal leaders have already enacted a ban on the use of such software.
Learn more about Economic Liberties’ campaign to end algorithmic rent-fixing here.
Learn more about Economic Liberties here.
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The American Economic Liberties Project works to ensure America’s system of commerce is structured to advance, rather than undermine, economic liberty, fair commerce, and a secure, inclusive democracy. Economic Liberties believes true economic liberty means entrepreneurs and businesses large and small succeed on the merits of their ideas and hard work; commerce empowers consumers, workers, farmers, and engineers instead of subjecting them to discrimination and abuse from financiers and monopolists; foreign trade arrangements support domestic security and democracy; and wealth is broadly distributed to support equitable political power.