

If the landlord withholds more than $25 of an application fee, you should ask the landlord to provide a written explanation of exactly what expenses were incurred, and what the cost of each item was. The excess amount must be returned to you within 15 days after you've moved in or after you or the landlord has given written notification that the rental won't take place. If the fee is more than $25, the landlord must refund any amount that was not used to process your application. A landlord is entitled to keep an application fee of $25 or less. Landlords use application fees to cover the costs of processing an application, such as running a credit check. You should never sign a lease until your application has been accepted. If a landlord rents five or more units at one location, the lease application must explain what your obligations and rights are if an application fee is collected.Īn application fee is any fee other than a security deposit paid to a landlord before a lease is signed. A landlord may keep an application fee of $25 or less.

Did the landlord have the right to keep the fee?Ī: Yes. She asked the first landlord if he would refund her application fee, but he said the fee was nonrefundable. The next day, she found another apartment she liked better.

Karen paid a $25 application fee to apply for an apartment.

