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San Francisco to Ban Rent-Setting Software Amid Gouging Worry

bloomberg.com

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Re: San Francisco to Ban Rent-Setting Software Amid Gouging Worry

#2

Post by burkaman »

Here is the law: https://sfgov.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=13157163&GUID=BC...

This only bans software that uses "Non-public competitor data" to set rents. You could still sell a product that just scrapes apartment websites to find the average rent in a neighborhood, for example, you just can't blatantly collude with other landlords anymore.

Re: San Francisco to Ban Rent-Setting Software Amid Gouging Worry

#4

Post by 0_____0 »

burkaman wrote: post #2

Here is the law: https://sfgov.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=13157163&GUID=BC... This only bans software that uses "Non-public competitor data" to set rents. You could still sell a product that just scrapes apartment websites to find the average rent in a neighborhood, for example, you just can't blatantly collude with other landlords anymore.

Doing anything that actually solves the problem is too hard, so let's do something that sounds good but does nothing.

California politicians make a big show of sounding progressive, when the outcomes they generate worsen inequality. Ibram X Kendi writes about this - policy that results in racist outcomes is racist, regardless of the tone its creators take.

Re: San Francisco to Ban Rent-Setting Software Amid Gouging Worry

#7

Post by nerdjon »

burkaman wrote: post #2

Here is the law: https://sfgov.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=F&ID=13157163&GUID=BC... This only bans software that uses "Non-public competitor data" to set rents. You could still sell a product that just scrapes apartment websites to find the average rent in a neighborhood, for example, you just can't blatantly collude with other landlords anymore.

I wonder if they could get around the non-public part if they themselves made the data freely available. If for example, they collected the data from the apartments they manage but the data was available on their site. I don't see anything here (but I only skimmed quickly) that specifically states the source of the data.

So basically realizing that it is better that they exist and have this data than to try to spite their competitors. Since I imagine without this data their value goes down.

So while they may be helping their competitors get data, their competitors are also helping them and then each company survive on their algorithm and contracts.

Re: San Francisco to Ban Rent-Setting Software Amid Gouging Worry

#9

Post by janalsncm »

SoftTalker wrote: post #3

Ignoring the elephant in the room which is that by their own doing the housing supply is woefully inadequate.

Sure, but if you have this kind of underlying issue any extra supply will be eaten up. And that’s after spending a long time and a lot of money to build new housing.

Places that use RealPage saw big increases in rent even if their supply wasn’t as constrained as SF.

Re: San Francisco to Ban Rent-Setting Software Amid Gouging Worry

#10

Post by davidw »

SoftTalker wrote: post #3

Ignoring the elephant in the room which is that by their own doing the housing supply is woefully inadequate.

Someday, someone is going to do research into the psychology of all this. People will turn to anything besides looking at the lack of housing supply and the local politics that cause that shortage. RealPage! Blackrock! Foreign buyers!

Meanwhile, those of us who are involved and actually go to hearings in our cities see the same thing over and over again. Our 'neighbors' fighting to stop housing: https://bendyimby.com/2024/04/16/the-hearing-and-the-housing...

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