The problem is fundamentally a housing shortage AND RealPage recommended to large rental operators that they leave apartments empty. So they definitely did actually pour gasoline on the fire.
Landlords are completely capable of leaving units vacant all by themselves and there isn't any evidence that realpage clients were more likely to do that.
> For tenants, the system upends the practice of negotiating with apartment building staff. RealPage discourages bargaining with renters and has even recommended that landlords in some cases accept a lower occupancy rate in order to raise rents and make more money.
...
> Apartment managers can reject the software’s suggestions, but as many as 90% are adopted, according to former RealPage employees.
jeffbee|3 months ago
novia|3 months ago
https://www.propublica.org/article/yieldstar-rent-increase-r...
> For tenants, the system upends the practice of negotiating with apartment building staff. RealPage discourages bargaining with renters and has even recommended that landlords in some cases accept a lower occupancy rate in order to raise rents and make more money.
...
> Apartment managers can reject the software’s suggestions, but as many as 90% are adopted, according to former RealPage employees.