Minneapolis - St. Paul Metro

The Minneapolis City Council on Thursday approved an ordinance that would prohibit landlords from employing algorithms to set rent and vacancy rates.

The proposed ordinance would specifically ban the use of algorithms that use “non-public competitor data.” It passed by an 11-2 vote.

Wonsley said many of the corporate property management companies that use this technology operate student housing complexes around the University of Minnesota. College students are “particularly vulnerable to exploitation,” she said, because they’re often first-time renters who are constrained to living near campus.