🧾 RENTAL APPLICATION FEE LAW · BY STATE
Rental application fee law, state by state
Rental application fees are regulated in a growing number of states: caps tied to the actual cost of screening, mandatory receipts, and refund rights when a report is never pulled. Unlimited, non-refundable "processing fees" are increasingly unlawful.
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Every state page carries a verified citation linked to the primary source — no AI-generated statutes, ever. More states as we verify them.
What application fees law covers
Fee capsSome states cap application fees at the actual out-of-pocket cost of the background/credit check, sometimes with a dollar ceiling.
Refund rightsWhere the landlord never runs the screening, or the unit is rented to someone else before screening, several statutes require a refund.
Receipts and disclosureStatutes often require an itemized receipt and disclosure of the screening criteria before the fee is collected.
Reusable reportsSome states require landlords to accept a recent portable screening report instead of charging a new fee.
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Run the Lease Analyzer — free →This page is general legal information, not legal advice, and doesn’t create an attorney-client relationship. Statutes change and have exceptions; the linked primary source controls. For advice on your situation, consult a licensed attorney in your state.