Start here
The free tool below runs entirely in this browser — no account, nothing stored or transmitted. Redact anything you would not want kept before you type it.
Open the companion tool →Why naming the fee is the whole task
Many fees are legal and disclosed deep in a lease; some are misrepresented or imposed as a condition. Distinguishing them requires the lease, the advertisement, and a list.
The federal regulator has opened a rental-housing fee rulemaking after a major landlord settlement, and states and cities are active — so local law may give you more than you expect.
The protocol
- Collect the advertisement, the application, the lease, and one full month's statement.
- List every fee with its amount, frequency, and where it was disclosed.
- Mark any fee that appeared only after you applied or signed.
- Ask the manager, in writing, what each post-advertisement fee buys and whether it is optional.
- Check your state or city's fee rules and record what applies.
What the tool does
Build a lease junk-fee inventory It runs locally in this browser and sends nothing.
Limit first: This is a documentation aid for a tenant or applicant, not legal advice. It cannot block an eviction, compel a repair, or guarantee a screening outcome.
Open the companion tool →Cost and free path
Cost: Free: one complete run in this browser, no account. Optional $4 one-time unlock allows unlimited runs of this tool on this browser. The free path and safety guidance never require payment.
Rule status (mixed route): Status, 2026-10-03: the FTC's junk-fee rule is in force for tickets and lodging, a rental-housing fee rulemaking opened 2026-01-30, and no federal rental-fee rule exists yet — state and city rules vary.
Automated decision this documents: automated fee assessment and lease pricing
Free path, in order (no cost):
- Your city or state consumer protection office (fee rules vary and they enforce them)
- A tenants' union or fair-housing organisation for advice
- LawHelp.org for free legal aid on a lease dispute
What this cannot do: It cannot block an eviction, compel a repair, or guarantee a screening outcome.
Sources checked 2026-10-03 · source bank reviewed against the live pages listed in metadata.
One human next step
Send the inventory to the manager with the fees you dispute, then raise it with your city or state consumer office if the answer does not hold up — the written inventory is what makes it a complaint rather than a complaint about 'fees'.
Research log and safety checks
AI-assist path: not used for a verdict. This builder organises the reader's own documents and names an independent source; it does not infer authenticity, eligibility, or legal rights. §6.9/§6.10/§6.11 disclosed in the batch report; §6.12 status line carried in metadata as `status_line`.
§0.5 protection result: category is housing-and-rent-costs; crisis-adjacent: no; fear/urgency/scarcity toolkit used: no. The protective function is free and the paid feature is convenience only.