The short answer
Check the rules where the property is located before charging an application or screening fee. Caps, permitted charges, receipts, refunds and timing can vary; there is no single nationwide fee amount.
On this page
Establish what may be charged
Read the current state and local requirements and any applicable program rules. Distinguish an application fee, screening charge, holding deposit and security deposit. Different rules can apply even when money is collected during the same application process.
Explain the charge before payment
State what the charge covers, who receives it and any refund conditions. Confirm what happens if you stop considering applications or the report cannot be completed. Keep the disclosure and payment record with the application.
Check the provider's role
A screening provider's advertised price does not establish that charging the applicant that amount is lawful. Review the transaction and location requirements before sending a paid request. Use the current fee shown in the authorized checkout rather than an old article.
Your next-step checklist
- Check the current local rules
- Distinguish each charge
- Disclose terms before payment
- Retain receipts and any refund record
Build a clear application-fee policy
Prepare the policy before collecting money. Start with the property location and the current rules, then give applicants the same written explanation of the process. A fee policy should answer these questions:
- What is the amount, and which application or screening work does it cover?
- Who receives payment, and when will the report be ordered?
- What happens if you stop accepting applications, do not order a report, or the provider cannot complete it?
- When is a refund or adjustment available, and how will the applicant request it?
- Are any lawful fee waivers or owner-paid arrangements available, and how are they applied consistently?
Keep the policy version, itemized charge, receipt and refund record together. Do not label a payment nonrefundable without first checking whether the applicable rules allow that treatment.
Control screening costs without rushing the decision
Before a paid request, confirm that the rental is still available and the applicant wants to proceed. Compare the current report scope and checkout charge with the information you need; an advertised package price is not permission to charge every component to the applicant.
Explain who pays before ordering. An owner may choose to cover an allowed screening expense, but confirm whether the chosen provider supports that arrangement. Review local requirements for reusable reports or duplicate charges before requesting a second report.
Track the amount quoted, paid, refunded and actually spent for each application. Payment is a processing step, not proof that someone qualifies. Use an authorized report for a housing purpose, review disputed information, and follow adverse-action requirements when report information contributes to an unfavorable decision. Check current Rentari pricing and the actual report request before payment; subscription access does not make screening reports free.
What renters should confirm before paying
Confirm that the rental is available and that the person requesting payment is authorized to offer it. Ask for the amount, recipient, purpose and refund terms in writing. Check whether an existing report can be used before paying for another one, and keep the application, disclosure and receipt together.
Payment does not reserve the home or guarantee approval unless a separate lawful agreement says so. Clarify which adults need an application or report and whether each proposed charge is permitted. If the fee or recipient changes, pause and ask for an explanation before sending money or sensitive information.
Use the property's current rule, not a national average
Different places regulate permission to charge, actual costs, report reuse and required documents. These primary references illustrate why one price cannot serve every property; check the applicable coverage, exceptions and city or program rules before collecting money.
- Vermont, 9 V.S.A. § 4456a: a landlord or agent may not charge an application fee to apply for a residential rental agreement.
- New York, RPP § 238-a: for covered transactions, background and credit-check charges are limited to actual cost or $20, whichever is less. The section includes a waiver for a qualifying report from the past 30 days, report-copy and invoice requirements, and specific exceptions that must be read separately.
- Washington, RCW 59.18.257: screening-cost charges depend on prior disclosure of information and denial criteria. Disclose whether reusable reports are accepted; when accepting one, a landlord may obtain another report without charging the applicant for that report.
A provider's checkout amount or a nonrefundable label does not override these requirements.
Sources and further reading
Common questions
What is the difference between an application fee and a screening charge?
An application fee may cover application processing; a screening charge refers to report-related costs. Local rules determine which costs may be collected and from whom. Keep the amounts and purpose separate from holding or security deposits.
Should I use an average fee from another landlord?
No. Confirm the property-specific limits, allowed costs and current provider charge. A typical market amount or an old article does not establish a lawful fee for your application.
Can I cover the screening cost instead of charging the applicant?
You may choose to cover an expense where the rules and provider arrangement allow it. Confirm the payment path before requesting the report, explain it to the applicant and apply your policy consistently. Do not promise a payment option the provider has not confirmed.
What if no report is ordered or an applicant requests a refund?
Check the applicable refund rules, your disclosed policy and the actual work completed. Retain the request, itemized costs, payment record and any refund or adjustment. A nonrefundable label alone does not decide what the law requires.
Are rental application fees legal everywhere?
No. Some jurisdictions prohibit residential application fees, while others limit permitted screening costs or require disclosures, receipts or report reuse. Check the property's current state, local and program requirements before requesting payment.
Can roommates or co-applicants each be charged?
Do not assume a per-person fee is allowed. Determine which applicants require screening and which actual charges the applicable rules permit. Explain the policy consistently, including lawful waivers, reusable-report rules and required accommodations. A separate report does not itself authorize another fee.
Written and maintained by the Rentari team. Examples explain a decision; they are not customer results. Found an error or an unclear step? Send a correction with this page's address and the detail to review.
Your next step
Request and review a screening report