DC Landlords Pay $9.3M to Settle Rent Fixing Case
JBG Smith and Mid-America Apartments agreed to a $9.3 million settlement over allegations of using shared data to inflate rents.
Two major landlords in Washington D.C. will pay a combined $9.3 million to settle a lawsuit alleging they conspired to raise rents. JBG Smith agreed to pay $8.1 million, while Mid-America Apartments will pay $1.2 million. The District Attorney General accused both firms of using RealPage software to share confidential pricing data with competitors.
The settlement follows a broader investigation into how large property managers set prices in the District. Officials state that the software analyzed supply and demand while using non-public data from rival landlords. This practice allegedly allowed the firms to coordinate on pricing rather than compete on price.
Financial breakdown of the settlement
JBG Smith owns more than 4,500 units in the District. Mid-America Apartments holds 269 units in the same market. The $9.3 million total covers civil penalties, legal fees, and payments to affected residents. The exact amount reserved for tenant relief is not yet specified.
Tenant relief remains uncertain
Renters have asked how much of the settlement money they will receive. Adam Gitlin of the Antitrust Enforcement Section said the office hopes to return as much as possible. However, the final payout per tenant is unknown because nine other landlords are still in the lawsuit. Those remaining defendants face trial in March 2027.
New rules for rent setting
The agreement requires both companies to change their pricing methods. They must stop using software that relies on confidential data from other landlords. They are also barred from sharing private pricing information that could facilitate coordination. This ban extends to encouraging other landlords to adopt similar software.
Five landlords have now settled with the District in this case. Previous settlements involved W.C. Smith, Avenue5, and Bell Partners. The attorney general’s office notes that over 30% of D.C. apartments in buildings with at least five units used RealPage software. In larger buildings with 50 or more units, the figure rises to about 60%. GN auto markets/housing: housing prices data suggests this practice impacted a significant portion of the rental market.
