Valley residents are up in arms as allegations of a rental scam come to light, prompting legal action from Arizona's top prosecutor. Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has taken aim at several landlords and a software company, accusing them of illegal collusion that contributed to soaring rental rates across Phoenix and Tucson.
The lawsuit targets RealPage and various prominent landlords, including Greystar Management Services, with claims of participating in an illegal price-fixing conspiracy. According to Mayes, this scheme is to blame for rent hikes of at least 30% in recent years. "The conspiracy allegedly engaged in by RealPage and these landlords has harmed Arizonans and directly contributed to Arizona’s affordable housing crisis," Mayes stated in an ABC15 interview.
In addition to highlighting the statewide housing affordability crisis, the lawsuit accuses the involved parties of violating the Arizona Uniform State Antitrust Act and the Arizona Consumer Fraud act. Mayes is determined to ensure those responsible are held accountable, saying, "RealPage and its co-defendants must be held accountable for their role in the astronomical rent increases forced on Arizonans," as reported by ABC15.
On a personal level, Dana Burns, a Phoenix resident whose rent nearly doubled within four years, expressed her challenges. "From $1,000 to almost $2,000 in a matter of four years is ridiculous," Burns told ABC15. She revealed her relief when the Attorney General announced the lawsuit, declaring, "And when the AG came out with that statement and her lawsuit, I said thank you, God." Burns has been living in a complex managed by Greystar, which is one of the nine property management companies cited in a the 54-page lawsuit.
As the case unfolds, renters like Burns are encouraged to file formal complaints on the Arizona Attorney General's website. With the lawsuit now drawing public attention, the hope is that more victims will come forward and that recompense will be provided for those unduly burdened by exorbitant rents, some of whom may have even been driven to homelessness. "I hope the AG's office finds those people who were affected by this scam to help them and get them off the street because they may be some who are homeless today and they need a roof over their head…it wasn't their fault," she concluded in her plea for justice, as stated by ABC15.
