Equity Residential, Essex Property Trust, and AvalonBay Communities – three of the largest corporate landlords in the United States – have recently delivered a whopping $5.1 million to the California Apartment Association’s Independent Expenditure Committee. …
If Equity Residential and AvalonBay Communities Merge, Will Americans Face a Mega-Predatory Landlord?
Recently, news reports revealed that Equity Residential and AvalonBay Communities, two of the largest corporate landlords in the United States, have started talks about a merger. What journalists didn’t bring up is that Equity and …
Corporate Landlords Delivered Big Cash to Little-Known California Apartment Association Committee in 2025
In 2025, corporate landlords, many of whom are among the largest in the United States, delivered major cash to the California Apartment Association Independent Expenditure. That little-known political committee is used by Big Real Estate …
The Real Dirt: The Shady Dealings of Corporate Landlords and California Apartment Association
The Real Dirt is a monthly column by award-winning advocacy journalist Patrick Range McDonald that exposes the real estate industry’s lies, scams, and other unscrupulous acts, which impact the lives of millions. Many of the largest corporate …
The Real Dirt: Corporate Landlords Target Black Tenants, Big Real Estate Delays Pro-Tenant Bill, the Shame of YIMBY
The Real Dirt is a monthly column by award-winning advocacy journalist Patrick Range McDonald that exposes the real estate industry’s lies, scams, and other unscrupulous acts, which impact the lives of millions. UCLA delivered a …
Predatory Corporate Landlords Target Black Tenants for Eviction, Says New UCLA Study
A new study has found that predatory corporate landlords are targeting Black tenants for eviction in the Los Angeles area. The eye-popping report, carried out by a UCLA researcher, also found that Equity Residential, Essex …
Scandal-Plagued Contributors Shell Out $102.5 Million to Kill Prop 33 and Silence AHF
Scandal-plagued contributors from the real estate industry have shelled out a shocking $102.5 million to kill Proposition 33 and pass Proposition 34 in California – and that number is only rising. The controversial donors include …
Corporate Landlords and California Apartment Association Raise Nearly $55 Million to Kill Prop 33 and Pass Prop 34
The California Apartment Association, the powerful lobbying group for many of the largest corporate landlords in the country, has raised $54.2 million to kill Proposition 33 and pass Proposition 34. Eighty percent of that money …
Corporate Landlords Mired in RealPage Scandal are Funding Anti-Rent Control Effort in California
Five corporate landlords mired in the RealPage scandal are also shelling out millions to stop Proposition 33, the November ballot measure that expands rent control in California. Corporate landlords Equity Residential, Essex Property Trust, Greystar, …
Equity Residential, AvalonBay Communities, and Essex Property Trust are Top Contributors to Stop Rent Control Expansion in California
Equity Residential, AvalonBay Communities, and Essex Property Trust are the top contributors of Big Real Estate’s multi-million-dollar blitz to stop the expansion of rent control in California. The three companies, who are among the largest …