[2][3] The firm has attracted controversy for its strategy of buying up large number of homes then charging tenants with high rental fees while providing poor maintenance.

[2][4][5][6] Mullen was the head of Goldman Sachs’ mortgage and credit business and was one of the main architects behind the bet against the U.S. housing market in what became known as "The Big Short.

"[2][4][5][6] The bet paid off and produced lucrative returns for Goldman Sachs after the Subprime mortgage crisis which caused the 2000s United States housing market correction.

[6] In October 2018, Pretium announced it would acquire mortgage loan servicing company Selene Finance LLP from Oaktree Capital Management and Ranieri Partners.

[9] In January 2021, Pretium and Ares Management took NYSE listed landlord company, Front Yard Residential private for $2.5 billion.

[2] During the same month, Pretium and the Public Sector Pension Investment Board formed a $700 million joint venture to invest the retirement savings of most federal employees, to develop SFR housing in the U.S.[12] In September 2021, Pretrium and Crescent Communities set up a $1 billion joint venture to construct new homes that are built to rent.

Pretium has stated that no resident covered by a signed CDC declaration affirming their inability to pay their full rent has ever been evicted.

[4][5] In early 2022, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison sued HavenBrook Homes and its owner, Pretium for failing to maintain its properties and violating the statewide pandemic eviction moratorium.