Disclaimer: This guide is for informational purposes only. Always refer to your team for compliance decisions and stay informed on evolving local, state, and federal regulations. Requirements vary by jurisdiction and may change over time.
Fee transparency is a rising standard in the multifamily industry, reshaping how properties market their communities. For decades, renters have been frustrated with hidden or junk fees that inflated the unit’s final leasing price. As a result, state and local regulators are starting to implement multifamily fee transparency laws.
When it comes to multifamily marketing, you’ll need to be aware of your state or local regulations regarding fee transparency. This guide equips you to understand why fee transparency is a growing concern with regulators and how it benefits renters.
We’ll also walk you through implementing fee transparency compliance across your marketing collateral, including your website, Google Business, unit listings, ads, and more. Otherwise, your property could be subjected to severe fines or legal actions.
What is Multifamily Fee Transparency?
Multifamily fee transparency (also called “fee compliance”) means presenting renters with the true cost of renting a unit by including all mandatory fees in the monthly rent.
As a marketer, you’ll need to advertise the all-in monthly price — also known as the Total Monthly Leasing Price (TMLP) — that accounts for all mandatory fees plus the unit’s base rent and clearly labels optional or situational charges. These details must be provided to prospective residents before they offer personal information or start an application.
Ultimately, transparent pricing eliminates surprises for renters, helping them understand exactly what they’ll pay each month.
What types of fees should be included?
Fee transparency regulations vary from state to state, but they typically require communities to disclose the mandatory recurring costs in any advertised price. However, multifamily teams need to be prepared to categorize and clearly label all types of fees they may charge residents.
Here’s a breakdown of the types of fees you may charge renters and how to label them.
Mandatory Fees
These fees must be included in the marketed price:
- Utilities
- Application fees
- Admin or leasing fees
- Trash or valet trash
- Pest control
- Amenities fees
- Required tech packages
Situational Fees
While only charged to residents in specific situations, these fees should be disclosed as early on:
- Key or fob replacements
- Early termination fees
- Lockouts
- Damage fees
- Unauthorized pet fees
Optional Fees
Residents can opt into these fees, but they need to be clearly labeled:
- Pet rent
- Parking (garages, carports, reserved, etc.)
- Storage
- Premium amenities
- Short-term lease premiums
Why is Multifamily Fee Transparency Important?
Attention to multifamily fee transparency is accelerating across the country. Several states and municipalities are implementing laws designed to eliminate hidden or misleading pricing practices.
At the same time, federal agencies are eliminating hidden fees by banning junk fees on event tickets and hotels — moves that don’t directly impact multifamily yet, but clearly signal where national policy is heading.
With these laws directly affecting how you advertise your community, you’ll need to be prepared to adjust your marketing and operations to remain compliant with local and state regulations.
Beyond compliance, transparent pricing plays a significant role in building trust with prospective residents. Renters are growing wary of hidden fees and added costs when searching for their next apartment. So, clearly displaying the total cost of living at your property improves their experience from the very first interaction.
You’ll reduce friction in the leasing funnel and improve lead quality with transparent pricing, as renters are more likely to complete an application or schedule a tour. It also strengthens your brand’s credibility in the market, which is more likely to attract residents and leave a lasting impression.
What Locations Have Implemented Fee Transparency Laws?
States and cities are enforcing fee-transparency laws for multifamily properties. Regulations vary by state and location, but here is an overview of the current laws:
| Jurisdiction | Effective date | Type | What ads must show | Utilities in the “total” |
California (statewide) | 7/1/2024 | TMLP | “All-in” advertised price must include all mandatory fees (taxes & shipping may be excluded). Applies broadly to businesses, including rentals. (California DOJ) | Taxes excluded; utilities treated like other mandatory charges—if unavoidable & part of the price, they can’t be hidden. (California DOJ) |
Minnesota (statewide) | 1/1/2024 | TMLP | Rental advertisements must disclose non-optional fees with the total amount for rent; leases must show a “Total Monthly Payment” on page 1. (MN Revisor’s Office) | Must disclose whether utilities are included; non-optional recurring utility charges should be reflected in the ad’s total. (MN Revisor’s Office) |
Maine (statewide) | 1/1/2025 | TMLP | Requires a pre-lease total price disclosure (rent + recurring fees) to prospects; media reports emphasize “total price disclosure,” but the statute itself doesn’t explicitly require advertised all-in pricing. (Maine State Legislature) | Allows energy-cost alternative if exact utility costs unavailable; otherwise recurring charges included in the disclosure. (Maine State Legislature) |
Massachusetts (statewide) | 9/2/2025 | TMLP | Requires businesses to present the total price (incl. mandatory fees) as the most prominent figure in offers/ads; AG explicitly references apartment rentals. (Mass.gov) | Gov’t taxes excluded; otherwise mandatory charges must be in the total. (Mass.gov) |
| Virginia (statewide) | 7/1/2025 | TMLP | Requires ads to clearly & conspicuously display the total price incl. all mandatory fees; landlords are not exempt (advocacy/analysis confirm scope). (Consumer Financial Services Law Monitor) | Gov’t fees excluded; otherwise mandatory charges must be in the ad’s total. (Consumer Financial Services Law Monitor) |
Colorado (statewide) | 1/1/2026 | TMLP | Requires total price disclosure in any offer/display/advertising for goods, services, or property; includes rental housing. Also bans certain landlord fees. (Colorado General Assembly) | Utilities: law says landlords aren’t required to include the actual utility amounts in the disclosure (but other mandatory monthly fees must be included). (Colorado General Assembly) |
Connecticut (statewide) | 7/1/2026 | TMLP | Will make it unlawful to advertise a price that excludes mandatory fees (all-in pricing); applies across goods/services incl. leasing. (Connecticut General Assembly) | Excludes taxes; otherwise mandatory charges must be included. (Kelley Drye & Warren LLP) |
Nevada (statewide) | 10/1/2025 | TMLP | All “mandatory fees” must be included in that single figure. Utility costs for master-metered systems may be handled via separate disclosure (if the utility is separately charged). (Nevada Eviction Attorneys | Karsaz Law) | The law is intended to prevent “bait-and-switch” with base rent + hidden, mandatory fees. (Your News) Because the statutory language refers to “each place where a landlord lists the amount of rent due … the rent must be set forth as a single figure representing … the total amount of periodic rent that includes the amount of any mandatory fees,” many legal analysts interpret that to apply to advertisements/listings, not just inside the lease. (Nevada Eviction Attorneys | Karsaz Law) |
| New York City (local) | 6/11/2025 | Fee Disclosure Only | Not a pure “all-in price” law, but it does require landlords/agents to disclose other fees in listings and shifts broker fees off tenants when broker represents the landlord. (NYC.gov) | Listing must disclose any other tenant fees; no separate “advertised total” requirement. (NYC.gov) |
Bellingham, WA (local) | 8/1/2025 | Fee Disclosure Only | “Promote fee transparency” and limit certain fees; not explicit about advertised all-in price. (City of Bellingham) | — |
How to Comply With Fee Transparency Regulations
Achieving full compliance requires close coordination between departments at your organization. While regulations vary widely across states and municipalities, the steps below offer a practical starting point to help your teams move toward clearer, more consistent pricing.
1. Audit Your Current Fees
Review and take inventory of the types of fees your communities charge. Then, categorize them as mandatory, situational, or optional. Doing so lays the foundation for accurately updating all pricing across marketing channels and materials later.
2. Create a Standardized Fee Policy
Work with your team to create a fee policy that the entire organization can work from. Your policy should clearly define what the “total monthly price” is for a unit.
Additionally, your fee policy should include:
- A master list of fees charged and their labels (mandatory, situational, optional)
- When should fees be disclosed to renters during the marketing or leasing funnel
- How fees should be labeled everywhere they appear (website, Google Business, ads, etc.)
Important Note: Your fee policy should serve as a living document that aligns with state and local requirements. Be sure to update it regularly as regulations evolve.
3. Update Total Monthly Pricing
Next, update the total monthly cost for each unit across marketing channels. There are multiple ways to approach this, depending on the platform.
Manual Updates
For platforms that don’t support automated feeds or structured fee fields, you’ll need to update pricing manually. This includes entering the total monthly cost — rent plus all mandatory fees — directly into your website, internet listing services (ILS), pricing sheets, social media, and any other places renters may see your pricing.
Automate Updates with PMS (if supported)
If your PMS supports structured fee data or all-in pricing fields, you can streamline updates by enabling MITS 5-compliant pricing feeds. This ensures your total monthly pricing flows consistently across channels. If your PMS hasn’t rolled out this functionality yet, ask your provider when support is expected and plan to continue manual updates until that integration becomes available.
Update on Google Using MavenAI + Engrain
Take advantage of MavenAI’s integration with Engrain to automate total monthly pricing on your Google Business Profiles. This ensures your units and mandatory fees stay updated in real time, reducing the manual workload and helping your communities remain consistent and compliant.
MavenAI integrates directly with your PMS (RentCafe, RealPage, Yardi, Entrata) to pull real-time data before updating your portfolio’s Google Business Profiles. This way, renters always see the most up-to-date specials, availability, and most importantly, total monthly leasing price.
4. Update Marketing and Leasing Materials
Review digital and printed materials to ensure pricing reflects new policies and regulations. All materials should include up-to-date pricing and clear fee descriptions for renters.
Materials that may need updating include:
- Price sheets
- Brochures or pamphlets
- Flyers
- Applications
- Lease agreements
- Move-in/move-out packets
- Newsletters or direct-mail pieces
- Print and digital ads
- Door hangers
5. Disclose Fees Early and Often
Share fees with prospective residents before they provide personal information or submit an application. Mandatory monthly fees should appear on listings and advertising materials for the unit. Meanwhile, situational and optional fees should be disclosed in accordance with your fee policy and state/local regulations.
However, informing renters about fees early builds trust and credibility. You’ll help renters move through the leasing funnel more efficiently while improving your community’s reputation.
6. Train On-Site Teams
Provide leasing teams with your fee transparency policy alongside updated scripts, templates, and talking points. These ensure consistent communication with prospective renters and residents.
Consider implementing additional training sessions or workshops to reinforce best practices, address common questions, and ensure all team members feel confident explaining fees. Implement regular refreshers to maintain consistency as regulations evolve.
7. Conduct Regular Audits
Quarterly or annual audits help ensure your communities comply with local and state regulations, especially as laws change. Audit against the strictest jurisdictions in your portfolio to maintain consistency across markets and reduce the chance of legal consequences.
8. Stay Informed on Regulations and Potential Changes
Finally, make sure you and your team stay educated on the latest regulations and laws. Track legislative updates at the local, state, and federal levels and subscribe to updates from industry media. These sources will keep you up to date on existing legislation and new regulations emerging in relevant markets.
Automate Fee Transparency for Your Google Business Profiles
Google Business is often the first place renters see your property and its prices. With renters and regulators increasingly scrutinizing unit costs, transparent pricing is essential for multifamily marketers. Unfortunately, manual updates are time-consuming and prone to errors.
With Engrain’s help, MavenAI automates fee transparency on Google Business for every property in your portfolio. MavenAI integrates directly with your PMS to pull real-time data and update your GBP whenever fees or pricing change.
As a result, renters see the most accurate pricing and mandatory fees for each unit. This earns their trust and moves them down the leasing funnel faster. It also eliminates the tedious task of manual updates, giving your team more time to provide residents with memorable experiences.
Book a demo today to learn how MavenAI automates fee transparency for your portfolio’s Google Business Profiles.
