Artificial Intelligence-Driven Rent Pricing Tools & the Housing Crisis

Abstract

This policy brief explores the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in rent pricing tools that corporate landlords and property management companies use for rental housing, and its consequences for the housing market. Across the United States, landlords have become increasingly reliant on AI-driven rent pricing tools to raise rents and boost their
profits. This technology, which uses both sensitive proprietary data and publicly available information, is reducing housing accessibility, often driving tenants from their homes. As AI becomes increasingly pervasive in our everyday lives, it is essential that we interrogate its uses, especially in those that have as many collateral consequences as housing. We offer an overview of rent regulation history, the underlying AI technology, and existing policy, and make our own policy recommendations.