Federal Judge Narrows Scope of New Jersey Antitrust Case Against RealPage and Major Landlords

U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo issued the ruling on March 31 in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, partially granting motions to dismiss filed by multiple defendants. The motions included a joint request from several parties as well as individual filings from landlords such as Aion Management, Cammeby’s Management Co. of New Jersey, The Kamson Corp., Russo, and AvalonBay.

The judge’s full opinion remains under seal for now, giving plaintiffs two weeks to propose any redactions before it is made public. According to a statement, the broader lawsuit also names additional real estate firms, including Bozzuto, Greystar, LeFrak Estates and its subsidiary Realty Operations Group, Morgan Properties, and Veris Residential.

The case centers on allegations that RealPage and participating landlords coordinated rental pricing practices in violation of federal and state antitrust laws. The complaint claims the alleged conduct led renters to overpay and worsened the shortage of affordable housing in New Jersey. The lawsuit cites violations of the federal Sherman Act as well as state-level antitrust and consumer protection statutes.

Read more: Federal Judge Narrows Yardi Antitrust Lawsuit, Dismisses Out-of-State Defendants

Defendants, however, have strongly rejected those claims. In a joint motion filed July 29, 2025, RealPage and the landlords argued that the state failed to plausibly demonstrate any unlawful agreement among them, according to Reuters. The companies contend that simply using RealPage’s revenue management software does not constitute collusion.

“This case is the latest in a series of baseless lawsuits contending that by merely licensing RealPage’s revenue management software, owners and managers of multifamily residential apartments conspired to fix rents in violation of the antitrust laws,” defendants said.

The lawsuit is built around what is known as a “hub-and-spoke” conspiracy theory. In this framework, RealPage is described as the central “hub” that allegedly connects multiple landlords, or “spokes,” through its software platform. The complaint further alleges that these landlords formed a “rim” by coordinating with one another.

However, the defendants argue that the plaintiffs failed to adequately establish this critical element. They maintain that there is no plausible allegation showing that landlords agreed among themselves to set prices or share confidential data. They also assert that the case relies heavily on circumstantial evidence rather than direct proof of coordination.

Source: Multi Family Dive