The U.S. Justice Department filed a proposed consent decree to resolve federal antitrust claims against LivCor, a Blackstone portfolio company, over alleged anticompetitive conduct in rental-housing markets. The move follows a January lawsuit that named six large landlords accused of information sharing and algorithmic coordination. The decree aims to settle the government’s claims and highlights intensified regulatory scrutiny of landlord behavior and pricing algorithms.
US Seeks Settlement With LivCor in Antitrust Case Over Rental-Market Practices
United States Department of Justice logo and U.S. flag are seen in this illustration taken April 23, 2025. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration
The U.S. Department of Justice said on Tuesday it filed a proposed consent decree intended to resolve federal antitrust claims against LivCor, a company in Blackstone's portfolio, arising from alleged anticompetitive conduct in U.S. rental housing markets.
The DOJ's action follows an early-January lawsuit in which the department accused six large landlords—including LivCor—of sharing competitively sensitive information and using algorithmic tools in ways that may have coordinated pricing and other rental-market behavior.
What the Filing Means
The proposed consent decree is designed to settle the government’s claims without a prolonged court battle. While the filing does not constitute an admission of wrongdoing by LivCor, it signals continued regulatory scrutiny of landlord practices—particularly the use of data and algorithms that could facilitate tacit or explicit coordination.
Context and Implications
Regulators have increasingly focused on how digital tools and information exchanges can affect competition in housing and other markets. If finalized, the decree could include restrictions or oversight measures aimed at preventing future information sharing or algorithmic coordination among large landlords.
Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Chris Reese, Reuters.
