# End Junk Fees for Renters Act: What It Means for You

If you're renting an apartment or house with a federally-backed mortgage, this bill would ban landlords from charging you several types of fees that renters commonly face today. The bill targets what it calls "junk fees"—charges that add up quickly and often feel hidden or unfair. Specifically, landlords would be prohibited from charging application fees when you apply to rent, screening fees to run background checks on you, or late fees on rent payments (though if you do pay late, any late fee would be credited toward next month's rent instead of being an extra charge).

The bill also prevents landlords from using credit scores or nationwide consumer reports when deciding whether to rent to you. This is significant because it means landlords couldn't automatically reject applicants based on credit history, which could help people with past financial problems access housing. Instead, landlords would need to use other methods to evaluate potential tenants.

Before you sign a lease, landlords would be required to tell you the total amount you'll owe each month including all fees, give you information about any past lawsuits involving the landlord and tenants, disclose any ongoing pest or maintenance problems in the unit, and show you how much rent has increased over the past ten years. This transparency requirement lets you make an informed decision about whether the rental is a good deal and what to expect.

The bill only applies to rental units connected to federal housing programs or properties with federally-backed mortgages—so it wouldn't cover all rentals, but it would cover a significant portion of the rental market. Different federal agencies (HUD, Veterans Affairs, Agriculture Department, and the Federal Housing Finance Agency) would enforce these rules depending on what type of federal backing the property has.