Contact Us
Please fill out the form below and our attorney will contact you.
Our Offices
Ratings & Reviews
-
Mr Zimmerman was helpful and kind and prompt . He always answers his phone and that is refreshing . I will be using him for my bankruptcy in the future. He is one of the good ones . He is an outstanding attorney who truley care . He made ev...
Show More -
Mr. Zimmermann is a fantastic bankruptcy attorney who handled my case with care, efficiency and urgency. We were able to beat a judgement against me in the nick of time, and I truly feel a sense of relief due to the services of Mr. Zimmerma...
Show More -
This Lawyer will go above and beyond for you. As well as show tremendous empathy for those who are vulnerable and scared. His compassion to help civilian's shows through his actions and with his word. When he says he is going to call he cal...
Show More -
I’ve worked with Mr.Zimmerman on two different legal issues. In both instances he was fantastic! He is extremely knowledgeable and compassionate and able to breakdown a course of action into language anyone can understand. I would highly re...
Show More -
I highly recommend Mr. Zimmermann as an attorny. I recently purchased an investment property and boy was he helpful. He was easily available, very clear in explaining various concepts, laws and regulations, and provided very helpful tips o...
Show More
- posted: Jun. 27, 2025
Living in New Jersey is expensive under the best circumstances. For many in the Garden State, housing is their highest regular expense, regardless of whether they own or rent. In this environment, tactics used by landlords to manipulate the market could make the financial burden even tougher. A lawsuit filed by the state alleges that some of New Jersey’s biggest providers of residential rental properties engaged in this type of behavior.
Attorney General Matt Platkin’s lawsuit against 10 of the state’s largest landlords and RealPage Inc., a property management software company, claims that the defendants colluded to inflate rents artificially. According to the complaint, RealPage and the landlords used algorithmic pricing software to set apartment prices in a way that eliminated competition. Instead of allowing market forces to determine rental rates, the software allegedly aligned rents across properties, ensuring that landlords avoided undercutting one another.
Instead of true price competition between the owners of multifamily buildings, Platkin says that top landlords agreed to set prices on tens of thousands of units through the centralized software. The complaint states that this practice not only forced people to pay excessively high rents, but also contributed to the state’s affordable housing crisis.
Programs developed by RealPage rely on confidential rent information shared by landlords. Moreover, Platkin claims that company employees monitor landlords to ensure that they are not deviating from the artificially high costs. Failure to abide the terms of the scheme could lead to corrective action from both RealPage and fellow members of what Platkin calls a “cartel.”
Algorithmic pricing tools are now commonplace in the housing market. While this software is marketed as a way to optimize rental income, critics argue that they can be used to stifle competition and harm consumers. Of course, this is just one area of potential area of dispute between landlords and tenants. If you’re engaged in a negotiation or conflict related to a rental property, it is critical to have a thorough understanding of the applicable law, so you can make an informed evaluation of your options.
The Law Offices of James C. Zimmermann represents clients throughout North Jersey in various landlord-tenant matters. For a free consultation, please call 973-764-1633 or contact us online. Our offices are in Vernon, Wayne, Pompton Lakes, Hackensack and Nutley.
