Biden Administration Announces New Steps in Rental Housing "Junk Fees"

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