Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb announced that William C. Smith & Co., Inc. (W.C. Smith) will pay over $1 million and reform its business practices to resolve allegations that it conspired with other District landlords, using pricing software from RealPage, Inc., to inflate rents at over 50,000 apartment units across the District. W.C. Smith owns over 9,000 of these units. The settlement is the first to result from OAG’s lawsuit, filed in November 2023. "Rents in DC are already sky-high, and amidst this housing affordability crisis, many of the District’s top landlords operated as a housing cartel—illegally colluding to push rents even higher. I commend W.C. Smith for putting an end to its anticompetitive practices and cooperating with my office to reach this agreement. We will continue working to hold RealPage and the remaining landlords accountable. As the District’s independent Attorney General, I will always fight for fair market conditions to protect District residents and ensure a level playing field for law-abiding businesses.” – AG Schwalb