"Austin Housing is drafting a rental fee transparency ordinance that would require landlords who own five or more rental units to hand prospective tenants a written fee disclosure form before booking a tour, submitting an application, or making any payment related to an application."
"Nearly half of tenant respondents-47%-said they didn't learn about mandatory recurring fees until after they had already submitted or paid for an application. Just 5% said they saw those fees in the original listing. For many renters, that means making a financial commitment before knowing what they'll actually owe every month."
"The most common mandatory recurring fees tenants reported paying beyond base rent and utilities: pest control (44% of respondents), valet trash (37%), standard trash pickup (35%), amenity fees (31%), and administrative fees (30%)."
"Under the draft ordinance, covered landlords must provide a written disclosure form-itemizing both mandatory and optional fees-before giving a lease quote, before booking a tour, before accepting an application, or "before they... make any payment related to an application." Any advertisement that shows a rental price would also have to display base rent plus all mandatory recurring fixed fees as a single combined number."
A proposed Austin rental fee transparency ordinance would require landlords owning five or more rental units to provide prospective tenants a written fee disclosure form before booking a tour, submitting an application, or making any payment related to an application. Nearly half of tenant respondents reported learning about mandatory recurring fees only after submitting or paying for an application, while very few saw those fees in the original listing. The most common mandatory recurring fees reported include pest control, valet trash, standard trash pickup, amenity fees, and administrative fees. Covered landlords would itemize mandatory and optional fees on the disclosure form and would also be required to show base rent plus all mandatory recurring fixed fees as a combined number in advertisements.
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