Competition Bureau says it’s probing whether landlords are using AI to set rents

By Canadian Press on February 17, 2025.

OTTAWA — The Competition Bureau confirms that it is investigating the possible use of AI-driven algorithmic pricing in Canadian real estate rental markets.

The practice involves real estate companies using programs that track what competitors are charging for rent and leases.

An American antitrust lawsuit alleges companies are using such software to collude and artificially inflate rents.

The NDP first called on the Competition Bureau to look into the matter back in September.

In October 2024, Innovation Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said he’d write to the Competition Bureau to request an investigation into the practice.

The independent media outlet The Breach first reported the investigation was taking place on Nov. 27, 2024, but the Competition Bureau would not confirm it at the time.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 17, 2025.

David Baxter, The Canadian Press