Rental Pricing Compliance: Are Your Properties Prepared?

Written By: Jules Flesner

If you thought apartments were exempt from the FTC’s junk-fee crackdown, you’re kinda halfway right. The final FTC rule does exclude multifamily.

But in reality, multifamily is getting dragged into the fight through major lawsuits, state actions, and marketplace pressure.

The FTC and Colorado Attorney General sued Greystar earlier this year for advertising low rent prices and then surprising renters with extra fees later (like trash or pest control). The claim? It misleads renters and gives an unfair advantage in the market.

Even though apartments aren’t technically covered under the FTC “junk fee” rule, states and cities are rolling out their own laws. As of October 2025, some already require “all-in pricing” — meaning your online + print advertising must show rent + mandatory fees upfront, not buried later.

How (ILS) Listing Sites Are Responding

In August 2025, Apartments.com announced that listings with total pricing (rent + all required fees) get higher placement in search results.

Zillow and Zumper both offer fee breakdown tools, but only if your team enters all the data correctly. If not, renters get hit with endless “Contact Property” buttons… which usually means frustration + lost leads.

ApartmentList now includes Cost of Living and Rent calculator tools.

These calculators rolled out fast after Biden first launched the junk fee initiative in October 2022. Keyword: FAST. Just because the features exist doesn’t mean they actually work without human oversight! I’ve had clients where we had to turn off the calculators and build custom overrides, because the auto-fed pricing was more confusing than helpful. (Ironic, right!?)

Price Transparency Compliance: What Property Managers Need to Do Now

The Greystar vs. FTC / Colorado case should’ve been your wake-up call. If your team has already tackled fee disclosure and updated your pricing and advertising strategies, excellent! If not, get moving on the following action items before you fall behind on compliance + competitive advantage.

1. Know Your Pricing + Fees “Source of Truth”

• Identify who approves + changes your fees per property and connect them with IT/marketing teams

• Is your base rent + fee list accurate and up to date per floor plan/property?

• Clearly organize all fees as mandatory vs. optional, one-time vs. recurring, refundable vs. non-refundable. Also create an ‘avoidable’ fees list pulled directly from your active, standard lease agreement.

• Don't forget often-overlooked details like lease-term variations (e.g. $250 price increase for 3-6month lease term), month-to-month fees, and concession clarifications (e.g. applied to 1st and 5th months rent).

2. Clarify Oversight

Who will handle long-term data accuracy and ongoing price transparency compliance responsibilities? Make a RACI chart that defines who is Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, and Informed for each pricing and fee transparency related task. Then make sure each key player understands their role/accountability.

In property management, Compliance Specialist roles are typically dedicated to LIHTC and affordable housing program-related tasks. If advertising transparency sits in a gray zone at your firm, consider contracted support to plug in as needed, without the commitment of a full-time hire.

3. Talk to Ownership Now

Cities are already banning or capping "unfair + excessive" fees. Example: Bellingham, Washington (effective Aug 1, 2025) now prohibits:

• Appliance usage fees

• Payment processing fees

• Amenity/common area fees

• Mail/package handling fees

Also noteworthy: Bellingham capped lease violation fees at $75 and added limitations on pet-related renter costs. This reinforces the momentum behind renter expectations. Ownership/asset managers and property management teams should be proactively addressing and dissolving outdated fees, and adjusting 2026-2027 budgets and income projections as needed.

4. Zoom Out

Audit the entire customer experience (CX) journey:

• Google or AI engine Search

• Property Website + underlying CMS

• ILS listings

• Paid ad campaigns (PPC)

• Applicant + resident portal

• Leasing office collateral

• Move-in welcome packet

5. Don’t Just Enable ILS Fee Calculators, Audit Them

Check every floor plan and price point for accuracy at onboarding and at minimum every quarter (go set your calendar reminders now!). And, yes, you have to do this per property. ◡̈

With ILS competition at an all-time high, some of my clients spend over $4,000+ per month just to appear at the top of search results. That spend goes to waste if your listings are missing fees or showing “Contact for Details” defaults in cost calculators.

6. Don’t Edit Fees Directly in ILS Dashboards

If your pricing is synced from a Content Management System (“CMS” e.g. Yardi RentCafe), logging into your ILS dashboard directly and changing price/fee data there manually in your ILS can cause breaks in your system integration. Always, always, always update fees and rent prices at your CMS source, wait 24–48 hours, then check. If the pricing calculator isn’t displaying correctly, contact your ILS support right away (with screenshots stretching up to the URL). If you’re in a state with active or pending fee transparency laws, make sure to request escalation.

Pricing Compliance Isn’t Optional Anymore. It’s a Brand Trust Issue.

If a prospective renter has to hunt for your fees, they won’t! They’ll leave. They’ll complain online. And with the growing momentum, they may take legal action.

The political pressure isn’t slowing down. According to NAA’s legislative tracker, fee transparency mandates are the #1 leading regulatory trend in 2025. Acting now gives you the chance to shape the narrative instead of reacting to it. Get ahead, protect your portfolio properties and your corporate brand, and deliver a renter experience you’re proud to stand behind.

If your property management or marketing team doesn’t have the bandwidth for a full review and overhaul of your pricing transparency practices, Vermillion Design + Co. can step in. Request an intro call and we’ll walk through your portfolio size and project scope to provide a custom proposal. We offer upfront consulting and hands-on help and ongoing maintenance.

Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. We are not attorneys. Always consult legal counsel regarding local pricing and fee transparency requirements.