The Oregon Senate is considering a bill that would prohibit landlords from using anti-competitive price fixing services like RealPage, Yardi, and YieldStar. It would also reduce the period for which new units are exempt from limits on rent hikes from 15 to 7 years. We want you to write the Senate Committee on Housing and Development before their March 19th meeting to let them know you support this bill.

SB 722 - PTU Supports

Hearing scheduled Wednesday 3/26/25

Work Session scheduled Wednesday 4/02/25

Submit written testimony in favor of SB 722 (feel free to customize the testimony below)

SB 722 main points

• These algorithmic devices allow landlords to engage in anti-competitive behavior

• They drive up rental prices beyond their market value

• High rent prices make the Portland homelessness crisis worse

• This law closes a loophole the prohibit cartel behavior that is already banned

• Capping rent increases on more units will help control skyrocketing rents

Sample testimony for SB 722

It's always great to add a personal story if you have one. Personal stories are the most impactful testimony, so please consider sharing how you have been or would be affected by excess fees charged by landlords, especially screening fees.

Dear Senator Pham and Senators of the Senate Committee on Housing and Development,

My name is [Your Name] and I live in [city]. I write to you in support of SB 722 which will stop landlords from using algorithmic services to collude to fix rent pricing.

High rents continue to exacerbate the homelessness crisis affecting Portland and all of Oregon and are a burden on all Oregon tenants. One recent factor in raising rents is the use of third-party companies like RealPage, Yardi, and YieldStar to work together to fix rental prices. Anti-competitive practices make a housing market already failing to serve Oregonians even worse. These services allow landlords to skirt antitrust policies to create de facto cartels to drive up rent.

It is absolutely vital that bodies like this one, who are interested in housing all Oregonians, take action to end these practices among landlords in our state. This is the first step in stopping unfair, anti-competitive practices among landlords in the state. Hopefully more legislation will follow to create stronger enforcement mechanisms and go after other common malfeasance among landlords like tenant harassment, bad faith complaints, and non-adherence to minimum housing quality standards.

Sincerely,

[Your Name]