Last verified: 7 October 2026
If you rented an apartment between October 2018 and November 2025, there is a good chance the landlord used software that a federal class action says artificially inflated your rent. A $359.9 million settlement is now open for claims, and most renters who qualify never knew the software existed.
The claim deadline is January 29, 2027, which gives you time, but the documentation step is easier to handle now than in January.
Quick summary
| Settlement fund | $359,925,000 |
| Claim deadline | January 29, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. EST |
| Opt-out and objection deadline | September 1 and 22, 2026 (both passed) |
| Final approval hearing | October 15, 2026 |
| Who qualifies | Renters at multifamily properties using RealPage Revenue Management Solutions, October 18, 2018 to November 21, 2025 |
| Proof required | One document showing a monthly rent payment at each address (lease, bank statement, cancelled check or portal confirmation). May be waived if administrator records already identify you |
| Payout structure | Pro rata, scaled by rent paid and estimated overcharge. No per-person figure announced |
| Official site | realpagerentalsettlement.com |
| Administrator | Angeion Group, 1-888-995-4213 |
| Case | In Re: RealPage, Inc., Rental Software Antitrust Litigation (No. II), MDL No. 3:23-MD-03071 |
What the case is about
RealPage makes revenue management software used by apartment landlords and property managers to set and adjust rents. Its products, including Lease Rent Options (LRO) and YieldStar, take market data from subscribing landlords and output recommended rents.
The lawsuit alleges that this created a cartel in practice: by sharing sensitive pricing data across competing landlords and all following the same algorithm’s recommendations, the defendants collectively pushed rents higher than they would have gone in a genuinely competitive market. The theory is algorithmic price coordination rather than the traditional backroom-meeting kind.
Dozens of large landlords and property management companies are defendants alongside RealPage. The full defendant list is on page 1 of the official class notice, available at the settlement website. RealPage’s separate settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice restricts how it operates going forward but pays no individual compensation. Only this class action fund pays renters.
All defendants deny wrongdoing. The court has not decided who is right.
Who qualifies
The Settlement Class includes renters who paid rent directly to a settling defendant landlord or property manager for a multifamily unit that used RealPage’s Revenue Management Solutions during the class period.
Breaking that down:
The class period is October 18, 2018 to November 21, 2025. Any address you rented within those dates potentially qualifies, as long as the property was managed by a settling defendant that used RealPage’s software.
Multifamily properties only. This covers apartment buildings and complexes, not single-family homes or commercial properties.
The property must be on the settlement’s covered list. The official site has a property lookup tool. If your address is not in the tool, you can still file and let the administrator determine eligibility, but the cleaner path is to check first.
You must have paid rent at that address. Subleases and informal arrangements are eligible as long as you were making rent payments to the landlord or manager.
Most qualifying renters never received a formal notice. This settlement is nationwide. Not getting a postcard does not mean you do not qualify. If you rented in a major metro area at any point between late 2018 and late 2025, check the property lookup tool before assuming you are out.
How to check if your property qualifies
Go to realpagerentalsettlement.com and use the property search tool. Enter the address where you rented.
If your property appears: you are likely eligible. Proceed to the claim form.
If it does not appear: the official site notes that properties not yet listed may still warrant a claim submission. You can file and include documentation. The administrator will determine whether your property falls within the covered class.
What you can claim
The settlement fund is $359,925,000, distributed pro rata based on:
- The rent you paid during the class period at each qualifying address
- An estimated overcharge percentage applied to that rent
- The total number of valid claims filed
No official per-person estimate has been published because both the overcharge calculation and the total claims filed are still being established. With a long deadline running into January 2027, the denominator will not be known until well after claims close.
You can file for multiple addresses if you rented at more than one qualifying property during the class period.
Payment options when distributions happen: PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, virtual prepaid card, or check.
Proof required and what to gather now
The official site says you need at least one document showing a monthly rent payment at each address you are claiming. Acceptable documents include:
- A lease agreement showing your name and the property address
- A bank statement showing a rent transfer or payment
- A cancelled check made out to the landlord or property manager
- A resident portal payment confirmation from the property’s online system
- A rent renewal letter showing the address and your tenancy
If the administrator already has your records, supporting documentation may not be required. The administrator’s notice or the claim form will tell you whether this applies to you.
Gather documentation now rather than in January. Bank statements and portal records from 2018 to 2023 may be harder to retrieve in four months than they are today. Most banks provide statements going back five to seven years online; older statements may require a formal request.
The DOJ case versus this settlement
Two parallel legal actions have targeted RealPage, and it is worth knowing which one pays and which one does not.
This settlement pays renters. The $359.9 million class action fund is what qualifying tenants can claim from.
The DOJ settlement does not pay renters. RealPage’s separate agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice and a coalition of state attorneys general restricts how RealPage’s software can be used going forward. It changes business practices. It delivers no individual compensation and requires no claim form.
If you have seen news about the DOJ case and assumed there is separate money to claim, there is not. This class action is the payment mechanism.
Key dates
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| September 1, 2026 | Opt-out deadline (passed) |
| September 22, 2026 | Objection deadline (passed) |
| October 15, 2026 | Final approval hearing |
| January 29, 2027 | Claim deadline, 11:59 p.m. EST |
The fairness hearing is October 15, 2026. Payment timelines depend on court approval and any appeals.
Will you get paid if the court does not approve the settlement?
No. Final court approval is required before any distribution. If the judge rejects the settlement, the lawsuit continues and no payments are made. This is uncommon at this stage, but it is not impossible. Track the settlement site after October 15 for the court’s decision.
Is the RealPage settlement payment taxable?
Likely yes, at least in part.
This settlement compensates renters for overcharges they allegedly paid, framing the payment as a return of money they overpaid. Refunds of amounts you previously paid are generally not taxable income, which supports a non-taxable treatment here.
However, the amounts are calculated algorithmically rather than traced to a specific overpayment you can document, and the IRS treatment of settlement payments in antitrust cases can vary. At modest individual amounts the question is mostly academic, but if you receive several settlement payments in a year it is worth discussing with a tax professional.
See our guide to whether settlement money is taxable and the IRS guidance on tax implications of settlements and judgments.
RealPage settlement scams
A settlement involving millions of renters and a long deadline is a natural fraud target.
- Filing is always free. Any site charging a fee to submit your claim is not part of the official process
- The only official site is realpagerentalsettlement.com. File nowhere else
- The administrator is Angeion Group. The phone number is 1-888-995-4213. Any other number claiming to be the settlement phone line is not official
- No one can increase your payout by charging a fee or asking for your bank login
- Opt-out and objection deadlines have passed. Anyone offering to process an opt-out or objection now is not legitimate
Report fraud attempts at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Our guide to spotting class action settlement scams covers what to watch for.
What to do now
Step 1: Go to realpagerentalsettlement.com and search your rental addresses from October 2018 to November 2025.
Step 2: Gather one rent payment document for each qualifying address: a lease, a bank statement or a payment confirmation.
Step 3: File your claim on the official site. The deadline is January 29, 2027, but earlier is better.
Step 4: Choose your payment method (PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, prepaid card or check) and keep your contact information current with the administrator until you are paid.
For other settlements currently accepting claims, see our list of open class action settlements and our guide to settlements with no proof required.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my apartment used RealPage?
Most renters never knew. The software was used by the landlord or property manager, not displayed to tenants. The official settlement site has a property lookup tool at realpagerentalsettlement.com that you can use to search your former addresses. If your property is listed, you likely qualify regardless of whether you received any notice.
I rented in multiple apartments between 2018 and 2025. Can I claim for all of them?
Yes. You can file for multiple addresses as long as each one qualifies under the settlement. You will need a separate rent payment document for each address you are claiming.
I never received a notice. Can I still file?
Yes. Receiving a settlement notice is not a condition of eligibility. Most qualifying renters in this settlement did not receive a direct notice. If you meet the class definition and your property is on the covered list, you can file by January 29, 2027.
Why did my landlord settle if they did not do anything wrong?
Defendants consistently settle lawsuits without admitting wrongdoing to avoid the cost, time and uncertainty of continued litigation. A settlement does not mean liability was established. The court has not made a finding that any defendant violated the law.
What happened to the opt-out deadline?
The opt-out deadline was September 1, 2026 and has passed. Class members who did not opt out by that date are bound by the settlement and give up the right to bring separate lawsuits over the claims it resolves. The only remaining action is to file a claim by January 29, 2027 or do nothing and receive no payment.
What is the difference between this settlement and the DOJ case?
The Department of Justice reached a separate agreement with RealPage that restricts how the company’s pricing software can operate going forward. That agreement delivers no compensation to individual renters. This class action settlement is the payment mechanism for renters. They are entirely separate proceedings.
When will payments be sent?
No date has been announced. The final approval hearing is October 15, 2026. Payments follow only after the court grants final approval and any appeal period expires. With a claim deadline running to January 2027, the earliest realistic distribution window would be mid to late 2027.
Is this the same as the RealPage criminal investigation?
No. The criminal investigation by the DOJ into RealPage and its software is a separate matter from this civil class action. The criminal investigation does not result in compensation to individual renters. Only this civil settlement does.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Settlement terms, eligibility and deadlines are set by the court and the claims administrator. Always verify current information at realpagerentalsettlement.com before filing.