Zillow and Other Rental Sites Are Now Disclosing Sneaky 'Junk Fees' Upfront
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Finding a reasonably priced rental can feel impossibly hard — and that's before you consider the glut of hidden fees that tend to get tacked on late in the process.
But that's about to change.
In a bid to improve price transparency, several major rental sites, including Zillow, Apartments.com and AffordableHousing.com, are starting to disclose information on additional charges and recurring fees tied to the rental application process. Announced Wednesday, the move comes amid the Biden administration’s crackdown on “junk fees,” which it argues add to the sting of inflation for stressed consumers. (Already, the White House has targeted such fees in other industries like event-ticketing, banking and credit.)
“Rental housing junk fees put safe and decent housing even more out of reach because renters must pay them on top of sky-high rents,” Ariel Nelson, a staff attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, said in an emailed statement, noting that these new transparency measures are “a step in the right direction.”
