The Bureau will continue to closely monitor this critical sector of our economy to protect competition
The Competition Bureau has concluded its civil investigation into the use of algorithmic pricing software in Canada's rental housing market. It found that revenue management tools have not been used widely enough by landlords to substantially harm competition.
The Bureau found that revenue management tools from RealPage Canada, Inc. (RealPage) and Yardi Canada, Ltd. (Yardi) became gradually more common after their introduction in Canada. However, since late 2024, following public concern and scrutiny, landlords across the country have significantly reduced their use of these tools. Based on the Bureau's analysis, the level of adoption did not meet the anticompetitive thresholds required to determine a violation of the Competition Act.
While the Bureau did not find sufficient evidence to conclude there has been an abuse of dominance or anticompetitive collaboration by RealPage or Yardi at this time, it remains concerned about the potential impact of algorithmic pricing tools on competition in the multi-family rental housing market.
Guidance to the industry
To support compliance with the Act, the Bureau is issuing guidance for landlords, property managers, and software providers. We encourage all industry participants to review this guidance carefully.
The Bureau will continue to monitor the rental housing market closely to respond to developments that have the potential to disrupt competition in this critical sector of our economy. If we find evidence of anticompetitive conduct, we will take appropriate action to maintain fair competition in the rental housing market.
For more details on the Bureau's investigation and findings, consult our position statement.
