[jfghi]

The algorithm would create scarcity by having some sit empty.

[Gigachad]

That only works when a single owner controls a massive % of them. In a healthy market with lots of smaller landlords, one individual owner won’t let their 1-2 apartments sit empty so that some other landlord can rent theirs for more.

[Purplehermann]

What if an app allows landlords to easily coordinate on prices?

[Gigachad]

The moment one of them had their apartment left empty they would fold and drop their price rather than leave it vacant and take a loss.

[n4r9]

That isn't what's happened with the RealPage case. Landlords are keeping properties vacant for months at a time under the promise that it will boost their long term profits.

[Purplehermann]

The higher the margins, the more wealthy people will want to build houses to rent them out.

At some number of vacant houses the algorithm changes