Rent fixing ban: The City Council session Tuesday included a vote approving a Seattle ban on “algorithmic rent fixing” in the city. The final vote by the full council had been delayed a week to give the council time to consider amendments adding language clarifying the new law is not “intended to interfere with standard recordkeeping business practices of individual landlords.” and an amendment requesting that the Department of Construction and Inspections “conduct outreach efforts to educate landlords about the provisions of this bill.”CHS reported previously on the proposed ban after years of controversy and legal battles over services that critics say have allowed the property management industry to collude against renters. Earlier this year, State Attorney General Nick Brown sued property management software company RealPage and a group of large landlords alleging they colluded to inflate rents through a price-fixing scheme.” Landlords named as defendants in the complaint include Greystar, Cushman & Wakefield, LivCor, UDR, Prime Administration, Quarterra Multifamily Communities, LaSalle Properties, MG Properties and Sares Regis Management Company.
- Second kiosk vote: Tuesday, the council also voted — again — to move forward with a plan to add digital kiosks across the city starting with a downtown pilot in time for next year’s FIFA Men’s World Cup activities in Seattle. CHS reported here on the previous full council vote approving the plan. Tuesday, a second vote authorizing the actual installation passed. “This is a win for Seattle — these kiosks represent a near-term opportunity to enhance the pedestrian experience, improve public safety communications, and support downtown’s economic and cultural revitalization — in addition to multiple public benefits including free WiFi and multilingual wayfinding,” Council President Sara Nelson said in a press release following the vote. The Downtown Seattle Association also applauded the final vote. “These kiosks will help people navigate the city, discover local businesses and stay connected, all while generating revenue to support cleaning, beautification and events in downtown,” the DSA said. CHS reported in February as planners from IKE Smart City and the Downtown Seattle Association presented on the kiosks and tried to drum up support for their eventual addition to E Pike. For now, until there is a Pike/Pine Business Improvement District formed, the kiosks will stay off Capitol Hill.Meanwhile, local providers in the kiosk industry like LocalVIsion Seattle continue to lobby for inclusion in the program. The proposal backed by Nelson and Mayor Bruce Harrell has moved forward despite concerns over clutter and turning over the city’s right of way to the advertising platform behind the technology. IKE Smart City says there will be no cost to the city for the installation and maintenance of the kiosks which backers say would generate around $1 million a year in advertising for the DSA, the city, and the neighborhood Business Improvement Areas.
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The ban on algorithmic rent fixing is such a great thing to hear, I really hope it is a total, comprehensive ban on the practice and not the type of ratf*ckery we expect from our disgusting “Democratic” mayor and our equally-awful city council.
Now if we could just get more upzoning and building going (tho the slowdown is, of course, a product of the policies our mentally ill dementia patient president has put in place).
Still, as a resident of the East 15th Ave neighborhood, I’d love to see the QFC and Safeway projects get started.
what does trump have to do with local zoning? we should take responsibility for our own dumb policies
Someone needs to look into the corrupt process that will cost the city millions of dollars in regards to the digital kiosk contract, headed by DSA in a no-bid process. The head of the DSA board is paid by the company who got the contract which is 15 years (industry standard is 10) and at a far worse rate than what would happen in an open process. Total corruption and the city council knows it.
How many weeks will it take before the devices are destroyed? I am sure that we will discover that they will have cameras and that they record everything they see/hear/sense/bluetooth/snoop.
In the end?
They will eventually go unmaintained and the city will pay the cost to crowbar them out of the sidewalk, with only a “stump” to remind us that they ever existed.
They will use the vandalism as a reason to put real time cams in them. Safety is the bell you ring when you want authoritarian type controls. In this case it’s business and cops.
Just look at who voted for it: it’s the typical “pro-business” councilmembers led by Nelson, so you know it’s corrupt at its core. Sara has shown nothing but blatant contempt for Seattle, time we return the favor this fall.
A democratic socialist just smashed Cuomo by knocking on 1.5 million doors.
Wow, the contempt you and others here throw at someone most people would consider a pretty reasonable, if not perfect, councilmember is sad. You may not like all the policies put forth by this Council, but you do not have to accuse them of blatant corruption. You don’t like these devices, which reasonable people can disagree about. But allegations of corruption and attacks on people who are (gasp) described derisively as pro-business just seem like attempts to elevate these issue’s beyond what is warranted by the situation.
They just gave an advertising company rights to our public space for 16.5 years without a public vote.
Yeah…
Aren’t those the kinds of decisions they were elected and paid to make? Why do we need to vote on this issue? How is it different from many other issues Council considers that do not require a public vote?
That is a sad sad sad excuse. Yup…they are paid to make corrupt decisions. Shocking I know. It’s OUR right of way. WE paid for it.
This isn’t just allowing private use of public space, this is giving away public space that only they can occupy, for a very long time. The private use will consist of unavoidable, blatant advertising.
They’ve checked off enough in the “this might cause controversy” column that they people should definitely get a say in something as drastic as this. The council disrespectfully disagrees.
“but you do not have to accuse them of blatant corruption.”
It’s a conflict of interest. It’s the peoples land. Why are we getting it crammed down our throats. Run the rent collusion paralel to give cover?
They want your cell phone data. Law enforcement track you. They will use YOUR data as they see fit.
There’s a reason they didn’t put them on the hill. They KNOW we can sway it AGAINST the city having surveillance on ALL OF US!
Never forget. The cops work for business first! Not the people. Read about the history and to present day. Tell me at what point in history the cops protected us over businesses?
We dont have enough cops to even do surveillance of actual criminals!
we need a lawyer to file an injunction. They are cramming this through “In time for FIFA” and 30+ years too! Is a reason to cram it down our throats w/o any voter input. It’s PUBLIC LAND! We deserve a say!
This is a purely for business boondoggle at OUR EXPENSE! They are selling our data and splitting the profits while sus boosting their personal interests. NOBODY WANTS YOUR ADVERTISING BUT YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The whole “emergency” thing gets front and center because people give up freedoms for “security”. 9/11 is a perfect example. Now? DHS is a goon squad using high tech to track specific people down with goon squads off the streets and vanish them with these things and they will blanket every area they are deployed. CONSTANT SURVAILANCE! Seamless. They will monopolise your “free wifi”. Everyone loves free wifi. Especially the homeless! I give 3 guesses where they are going to congregate! Free wifi everywhere! Now that’s how you run a drug ring babbbbby! The cops are encrypting their communications as well.
So how far to the authoritarian slide are we willing to got for free wifi?
I am a small “mom and pop” landlord with one property
I am very happy this has passed. Online price fixing sucks.
I just did research on these kiosks. They are nothing but trouble and anuicanse.
They put those things IN FRONT OF YOU!
You can trust the market gets a couple…They will be EVERYWHERE in the middle of wide open prominades. Having to walk around them to get the view from the waterfront? Naw…gorgeous view and a kiosk is what we get now. Walk around them, not by them, to get on a train.
They deliberately put them in the path. This is insane. One of the most beautiful cities in the world covered in worthless kiosks for cameras in the future so businesses get money PLUS security for free!
To oppose them is declaring war on business. Gee…Wonder where the whole “war on” lie comes from.
Quick question?
Are we still waring over Merry Christmas?
According to IKE Smart City’s privacy policy, the company collects some data from users who interact with their kiosks, including phone numbers. However, IKE says they do not collect or sell personally identifiable information (PII). Here’s some information about the data IKE collects:
IKE also shares some of this data with third parties. For example, IKE’s privacy policy states that companies that operate the kiosks’ apps may receive information that could personally identify users.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6QWeEwZiuw#:~:text=CBS%20News%20%5BLIVE%20at%205,the%20users%2C%22%20said%20Tran.
It can be used on you!
Real talk…What happens when FIFA comes to Seattle and they are low key doxed? “Deporting the “Low Hanging fruit” aka Eisenhower 1950 mass deportation plan at the convention, and is now implementing it. The feds WILL collect this data and follow them home. End of arguments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USINdyYMytU
This is going to be everywhere. At Walmart etc. They already have the tech. QFC on Broadway has it.
https://www.404media.co/ice-is-using-a-new-facial-recognition-app-to-identify-people-leaked-emails-show/
Here it is…The carteels are using hackers to track FBI informants.
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/28/politics/mexican-drug-cartel-fbi-hack-informants
(Myself always having been a renter, and having close to zero sympathy for landlords in general) – regarding the veracity of this municipal legislation (which interestingly, did not pass State legislature) under scrutiny of the seemingly inevitable litigation that will challenge the language/provisions:
7.34.020 Definitions. For the purposes of this Chapter 7.34:
“Coordinate” and “coordinating” mean a service provider’s: (1) collecting historical, anticipated, or contemporary prices, price changes, supply levels, occupancy rates, or lease or rental contract termination and renewal dates of residential dwelling units from … from public databases; and (2) analyzing or processing the information described in (1) through the use of a system or software that utilizes an algorithmic or other automated process to provide recommendations regarding rental prices, lease renewal terms, or occupancy levels to more than one landlord.
Source: https://seattle.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx?ID=7431425&GUID=8FBCD163-280C-4B60-8854-F6CB2E333EDC&FullText=1
Above language appears to outlaw disclosure of such mathematical analysis – in a seeming effort to stretch constitutionality to an (easily voided) degree?