PHOENIX — An apartment management company accused of helping inflate rental prices in Phoenix and Tucson has agreed to pay $1 million and overhaul its business practices under a settlement announced Wednesday by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes.
The agreement brings to an end the state’s claims against Weidner Property Management, one of nine landlords sued in 2024 alongside software company RealPage Inc. The landlords allegedly used algorithm‑driven pricing tools to coordinate higher rent increases across the market.
According to the state’s original complaint, the alleged rent‑fixing scheme touched a massive share of the Phoenix rental market.
Prosecutors say RealPage’s pricing system was used in roughly 70% of multifamily apartments in metro Phoenix, giving participating landlords broad power to push rents above competitive rates. The complaint estimates those units were “overcharging” renters by an average of about 12%, a figure the state called a conservative estimate.
Weidner Property to repay tenants
Under the deal, Weidner will pay $1 million to Wildfire, a Phoenix-based nonprofit that distributes emergency rental assistance. The money will be earmarked specifically for current and former Weidner tenants.
The settlement does not note how many renters were affected.
The company must pay half of that settlement this week, by Feb. 28, and the remaining $500,000 by Jan. 31, 2027, according to Mayes’ office.
Weidner also agreed not to use revenue management software that relies on competitors’ nonpublic data, a key tenet of the alleged rent-fixing scheme. It works the other way, too. Weidner can’t share their sensitive rental data, such as occupancy levels, pricing strategies or lease expirations, from other property owners.
The company must also provide annual compliance certifications and reports to the Attorney General’s Office.
Arizona renters “deserve a fair and competitive housing market, not one manipulated by secret algorithms and backroom deals,” Mayes said in a statement, adding that her office will continue pursuing claims against other defendants.
The investigation continues
The settlement is the latest development in Arizona’s lawsuit against RealPage Inc. and nine major residential landlords: Apartment Management Consultants LLC, Avenue5 Residential LLC, BH Management Services LLC, Camden Property Trust, Crow Holdings LP/Trammell Crow Residential Company, Greystar Management Services LP, HSL Properties Inc., HSL Asset Management LLC and RPM Living LLC.
The state alleges the companies used RealPage’s revenue‑management software to share competitively sensitive data and coordinate rental pricing at levels higher than a competitive market would allow.
Weidner has already terminated its contracts with RealPage. As part of the settlement, they did not admit wrongdoing and the state will dismiss its claims against the Washington-based company.
The case continues against the remaining defendants, which include other large landlords operating in Phoenix and Tucson.
Weidner founder Dean Weidner signed the agreement on Feb. 17, and lawyers with the Attorney General Robert Bernheim and Jayme Weber signed it on Feb. 19.
