The White House and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced new steps in their efforts to raise awareness on “junk fees” in rental housing. This is a follow up to their initial “Blueprint for a Tenant’s Bill of Rights,” and included no policy action items from either the Administration or HUD. The White House’s announcement cited three new action steps, which included:
- Commitments from private companies (Zillow, Apartments.com, and AffordableHousing.com) to provide transparency in the fees associated with renting properties. This includes things like application fees, running credit reports, and more.
- Newly announced research from HUD on policy solutions for state and local legislators to address “junk fees.”
- A list of states that have already taken steps to address “junk fees” in a variety of ways.
NAR will continue to monitor this topic and will provide updates as they arise.
President Biden's Fact Sheet on "Junk Fees" in Rental Housing