LC-027 / Property / Public ledger

Rent application fees.

Prospective tenants may pay screening fees even when they do not get the apartment.

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In ordinary words.

Pay money to be told you can't pay rent there.

In legal terms.

State and local laws may cap, restrict or require refunds of screening fees.

Where it stops being legal.

This practice is not categorically legal. Applicable federal, state and local laws, disclosures, procedural protections and the specific facts can make particular conduct unlawful.

Legal authority / Start reading

State landlord-tenant statutes

Open cited reference ↗

General U.S.-focused information. Cases and statutes may have jurisdiction-specific exceptions. This citation may be a general primer; verify the governing primary authority. Not legal advice.

Related case files.