On July 6th, tenant Yiyao Liu filed a class-action lawsuit in Philadelphia’s Court of Common Pleas alleging Willow Bridge Property Co. and RealPage violated the city’s rent price-fixing statute by using banned rent-setting software at local properties.
Class Action Tests Philadelphia’s Rent Price-Fixing Ban
Liu alleges Willow Bridge used RealPage to set or influence rents at Vue 32 in University City and Rittenhouse Row in Center City, where the company manages 244 units.
According to reporting by WHYY, the complaint is believed to be the first since the antitrust law took effect in February 2025.
The case places core submarkets like University City and Center City at the center of the city’s first court test of the ordinance.
What the Ordinance Prohibits and Potential Landlord Exposure
Philadelphia law makes it unlawful to sell or use services that coordinate prices by collecting nonpublic competitor data to recommend rents, fees, terms or occupancy levels.
Private plaintiffs can seek three times actual damages or $2,000 per violation, plus attorneys’ fees, and Liu also seeks an injunction.
A MultiFamily Dive article states the complaint cites RealPage AIRevenue Management, YieldStar and Lease Rent Options, and additional context on the class action alleging violations of the rent price-fixing statute and the cited RealPage products outlines the scope of the claims.
How Pricing and Leasing Operations Could Shift in Center City and University City Assets
Because the ordinance targets price coordination that relies on competitor data, removing or disabling such tools can alter rent-setting cadence for new leases and renewals.
Occupancy targeting and renewal offer design may rely more heavily on internal comps and on-the-ground surveys of nearby buildings in West Philadelphia and Center City.
Documenting independent pricing inputs and maintaining audit trails becomes a practical compliance step for managers and owners.
Enforcement Landscape to Watch
As reported by WHYY, a judge approved a DOJ settlement with RealPage that requires the company to stop using competitors’ nonpublic information in runtime operation and includes no admission of wrongdoing or financial penalties.
The DOJ also filed a proposed settlement with Willow Bridge the day Liu’s suit was filed.
Earlier coverage of Philadelphia tenant lawsuit over alleged price-fixing software details the local enforcement rationale as similar actions proliferate, including $1.4 million in D.C. settlements with two landlords.
Case Mechanics and Next Steps in Philadelphia Courts
Liu seeks a jury trial, class certification, treble or statutory damages, and an injunction limiting software use in the city.
RealPage said it does not comment on pending litigation and previously maintained its products and customers’ use are legal; Willow Bridge did not respond to requests for comment.
For operators tracking court exposure, the first case under the city’s ban on algorithmic rent-setting will clarify how courts assess alleged coordination at managed properties.