Answer
Jul 21, 2025 - 12:54 AM
Yes. So a background check is an application fee. Sometimes, although not as common anymore, a landlord will charge for their time and include that as part of the overall fee. But it does need to be within the limits of your state. So even some cities or counties might have other limits, but usually at the state level, there's a limit. If there's no limit, obviously you can charge what you want, but at a certain point, people aren't going to want to pay for it or apply. So be careful with that. But A lot of landlords just avoid charging for their time. Again, going back to even the security deposit question we had earlier, it's just such a vague thing to charge for your time that it can easily be questioned. And so a lot of landlords do just avoid it just to not have a problem.
