Startup pitches city‑branded rental portal to expand searchable inventory for Ann Arbor renters

Dominic Anzalone, founder and CEO of Citywide Software, told the Ann Arbor City Council work session that his company would create a city‑branded rental marketplace to aggregate listings from small landlords and “provide inventory to the renters that they wouldn't typically have.”

The company says the platform can list naturally occurring affordable housing alongside subsidized units, display code‑enforcement records for specific properties and give the city analytics about price points and where renters are signing leases. Anzalone said Citywide’s model grew out of a longer college‑housing product and that the firm would place a local representative in Ann Arbor to recruit landlords and maintain up‑to‑date listings.

Why it matters: Councilmembers characterized the proposal as a potential tool to connect middle‑income renters with more options than commercial listing sites typically surface. The portal could also give city staff data to identify market trends or consumer‑protection issues such as high application fees.

Council questions and responses

Councilmember Malek asked whether such an aggregator risks enabling landlord collusion on price. Anzalone replied that landlords already monitor market prices and that the portal’s likely effect would be to increase visible options for renters, not to reduce competition. “Information is key,” he said, arguing that expanding search results from a few options to “200 options” would help renters find better price points.

Councilmember Medina asked about commercial pricing software (Yardi) and whether easier visibility might lower rents; Anzalone said larger complexes use dynamic pricing tools but that the platform’s net effect should be more options for renters. When asked who would recruit landlords and maintain the site, Anzalone said Citywide would station a full‑time representative in the city to build relationships with mom‑and‑pop landlords as well as large management companies and accept data feeds from property managers.

Accessibility, tenant resources and reporting

Councilor Gaasellano asked whether the site could include accessibility filters (ramps, accessible kitchens). Anzalone said the system already supports filters such as “senior living” and “accessible housing” and that the company links to city resources. He also described a “Rent Your Education” content model for lease‑signing videos and said some cities allow automated lease‑review tools while others do not.

Anzalone said the company’s contracts include a city exit clause, insurance and language intended to hold the city harmless; he said Ann Arbor attorneys had reviewed the standard agreement used in other municipalities.

What remains unclear

The presentation did not include a staff recommendation, a procurement timeline or a detailed description of costs to the city. Councilmembers asked about long‑term maintenance of listings and whether Citywide would charge landlords; Anzalone said the company’s model is to avoid high listing fees that push smaller landlords off major platforms.

Next steps

Council members asked staff to continue evaluating the proposal. No formal action or vote occurred at the work session.