HOUSTON \u2013 Houston renters who lived in certain apartment communities between 2018 and 2025 may be eligible to submit a claim as part of a proposed nationwide settlement involving apartment owners and property managers accused of participating in a scheme that inflated rents.<\/p>\n
The proposed settlements total $359.9 million, according to the court-authorized settlement website for In re RealPage, Inc., Rental Software Antitrust Litigation (No. II). The case is pending in federal court in Tennessee.<\/p>\n
The settling defendants deny wrongdoing, and the court has not ruled that the allegations against them are true. (RealPage Antitrust Litigation<\/a>)<\/p>\n For renters wondering whether they could receive money, the process starts by checking where they lived.<\/p>\n 1. Search the address of your current or former apartment<\/p>\n The official settlement website includes a Property List where renters can search addresses associated with the litigation.<\/p>\n The settlement generally concerns certain multifamily properties that were licensed to use RealPage revenue-management products during the covered period.<\/p>\n The official website says renters can still submit a claim for review even if a property does not appear in the search results or the result is inconclusive. (RealPage Antitrust Litigation<\/a>)<\/p>\n Search the official Property List<\/a><\/p>\n Renters who moved during the covered period should check each address where they lived.<\/p>\n 2. Determine whether you paid rent during the covered period<\/p>\n The settlement class covers qualifying rent payments made during a period beginning Oct. 18, 2018 and continuing through Nov. 21, 2025, according to the settlement materials.<\/p>\n The litigation involves several RealPage revenue-management products used by apartment operators to help determine rental prices, including YieldStar, Lease Rent Options and AI Revenue Management. DOJ court records also identify those products as tools used by landlords to determine pricing for multifamily apartment units. (Department of Justice<\/a>)<\/p>\n A renter who believes they qualify can submit information about the property and the time period in which they paid rent for consideration by the settlement administrator.<\/p>\n 3. Gather records showing that you lived there and paid rent<\/p>\n Before filing, renters should look for records connecting them to the apartment.<\/p>\n That could include documents such as a lease, rent-payment history, bank records, payment confirmations, renewal paperwork or other records showing residency and rent payments.<\/p>\n The settlement administrator may request additional information when reviewing a claim.<\/p>\n 4. File directly through the official settlement website<\/p>\n The deadline to submit a claim is Jan. 29, 2027. (RealPage Antitrust Litigation<\/a>)<\/p>\n Claims can be submitted directly through the court-authorized settlement administrator.<\/p>\n The settlement website specifically warns renters that they do not have to hire or pay a third-party company to submit a claim. Filing directly through the settlement administrator is free online. (RealPage Antitrust Litigation<\/a>)<\/p>\n Visit the official RealPage settlement website<\/a><\/p>\n The settlement administrator also warns that third-party companies may charge fees or take a portion of a renter\u2019s eventual payment.<\/p>\n How much money could a renter receive?<\/p>\n There is currently no guaranteed dollar amount for an individual renter.<\/p>\n The proposed settlements collectively total $359,925,000, but that does not mean every renter receives the same payment. Administrative costs and other court-approved expenses must also be addressed before funds are distributed.<\/p>\n The amount ultimately available to an eligible claimant will depend on the terms of the court-approved distribution process.<\/p>\n No renter should assume they are receiving a specific amount simply because they lived at an apartment that appears on the property list.<\/p>\n Why are apartment companies paying to settle?<\/p>\n The private class-action plaintiffs accused RealPage and apartment owners and managers of violating federal and state antitrust laws by conspiring to fix and inflate the price of multifamily rental housing.<\/p>\n The settling defendants deny those allegations.<\/p>\n The court has not determined who was right or wrong. Instead, the parties reached proposed settlements to avoid the cost and uncertainty of continuing the litigation. (RealPage Antitrust Litigation<\/a>)<\/p>\n