Application fees
Some states cap them; California §1950.6 limits the screening fee to actual cost. Non-refundable when you're rejected? Often pushable.
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The rental-application packet is where a lot of illegal questions and non-refundable fees hide. Run yours through — we’ll flag what the landlord can legally ask, what they can’t, and what fees you can push back on before you sign anything.
Some states cap them; California §1950.6 limits the screening fee to actual cost. Non-refundable when you're rejected? Often pushable.
Fair Housing Act protects race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. State and city laws extend the list. We flag overreach.
It's illegal in many places to refuse Section 8 or housing-voucher holders, and "3x rent in income" requirements can fail disparate-impact tests against them.
"Good faith" deposits taken before lease signing are often required to be refundable if the applicant is rejected. We flag forfeiture clauses.
HUD guidance restricts blanket bans and overbroad look-back windows. We flag ones that don't comply.
NYC's FARE Act (2025) shifts most broker fees to the landlord. Other markets vary. We flag undisclosed or improperly assigned fees.
Flagged clauses, statute citations, negotiation email.
Read it →Non-compete, IP grabs, severance, vesting, arbitration.
Read it →MSA / SOW — IP, payment terms, indemnity, kill fees.
Read it →Deposit treatment, head-lease exposure, exits.
Read it →Run YOUR lease against your state's law. From $19.
Read it →