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Hoboken bans algorithmic price-fixing in rental market, council urges follow-up enforcement steps
Summary
Council adopted an ordinance prohibiting landlords from sharing nonpublic competitor data to set rents algorithmically; tenants, labor unions and renters who said algorithms drove large rent hikes urged the council to add enforcement tools and tenant-facing certification requirements.
The Hoboken City Council on July 16 unanimously adopted an ordinance prohibiting property owners and managers from using nonpublic competitor information — including recent, less‑than‑365‑day pricing, leasing or renewal data — to coordinate rent‑setting through algorithmic services.
Why it matters: Advocates say software sold to landlords can function like a cartel by sharing nonpublic supply-and-price data across managers and effectively pushing rents higher. Speakers at the meeting cited national litigation and a New Jersey Attorney General complaint alleging anticompetitive conduct; several tenants described double‑digit…
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