A reference of 36 statistics on US rental application fees as landlords report them: who charges one, the fee bands they charge, how often they waive it, and how all three change with property size, owner type and manager type. 24 are our own computations from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey (census.gov), each printed with its 90% margin of error and the number of properties behind it. The other 12, state fee caps plus renter and federal figures, were checked against the original text before publishing.
Key statistics
6 highlights from this report
Key statistics
Key takeaways
The application fee is close to universal in large rental properties and common but not universal among small properties. Single unit rentals charge less often, yet when they do charge they ask $100 or more about twice as often as large properties. Most properties that charge never waive the fee. National numbers have mostly come from renter surveys; these come from the owners and managers themselves.
93% of US rental homes are in properties that charge an application fee.
98% of homes in properties with 50+ units, against 81% of single unit rentals.
$50 to $74 is the most common fee band, for 40% of rental homes with a fee.
19% of single unit rentals that charge ask $100 or more, against 10% of homes in large properties.
Only 14% of fee charging properties ever waive the fee.
97% of homes run by management companies are in properties that charge, against 82% of homes run by their owners.
How we built this report
Every survey figure on this page was computed by RapidEye Research in November 2026 from federal microdata, and every outside figure was checked against its original text before publishing.
- Federal microdata, not a vendor poll
The Census Bureau and HUD (huduser.gov) released the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey public use file on February 19, 2026. It holds answers from 4,425 sampled rental properties, collected from owners and managers between June and November 2024, and weighted to represent about 19.0 million US rental properties. The application fee questions were new in 2024.
- Counted two ways
83% of rental properties have a single unit, but those hold under a third of rental homes. So each figure is shown per property and per rental home (every unit in the property counted). We lead with rental homes, the view closest to what a renter meets.
- Margins of error from the survey itself
Each figure's 90% margin of error comes from the survey's 100 replicate weights, using the replication method in the Census Bureau's 2024 methodology. Our totals reproduce the Bureau's published key estimates: 18,965,000 rental properties, plus or minus 271,000.
- Respondents only, sample sizes printed
Many owners of small properties skipped the fee question, so every figure describes the properties that answered it, and we print how many sampled properties sit behind each one. Differences we call out hold at the 90% confidence level.
- Recomputed independently
Every printed figure was recomputed from the raw file in a separate analysis before publishing. Written by one co-founder, reviewed by the other.
What these numbers are and are not: owners and managers report the typical fee for the whole property (the average fee when units differ), in bands, not what each renter paid. The fee question has heavy nonresponse among small landlords: only 37% of single unit rentals and 27% of 2 to 4 unit properties answered it, so figures for those groups rest on 160 and 147 properties and could differ from what nonrespondents charge. The survey covers properties with at least one rental unit that existed in late 2020; public housing is excluded. Margins of error cover sampling only.
Rental application fees, by the numbers
All 36 figures, grouped by theme. Computed figures carry their 90% margin of error (in percentage points) and the number of sampled properties that answered.
Who charges an application fee
The 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey asked owners and managers: "What is the typical amount of the rental application fee?", with a box for "No application fee". 2,663 sampled properties answered. According to our analysis of the survey file from the U.S. Census Bureau (census.gov), almost every large property charges, and most small ones do too.
Statistic 1
93% (±3) of US rental homes are in properties that charge a rental application fee, among properties whose owners answered the question.
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey; 2,663 properties answered
Statistic 2
Counted by property instead, 81% (±10) of US rental properties charge one. Small properties, which charge less often than large ones, are most of the count.
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey; 2,663 properties answered
Statistic 3
98% (±1) of homes in properties with 50 or more units are in properties that charge an application fee.
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey; 1,795 properties answered
Statistic 4
Midsize properties: 95% (±3) of homes in 25 to 49 unit properties and 91% (±3) in 5 to 24 unit properties.
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey; 228 and 333 properties answered
Statistic 5
84% (±7) of homes in 2 to 4 unit properties are in properties that charge (80% of the properties themselves).
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey; 147 properties answered
Statistic 6
81% (±11) of single unit rentals, such as a rented house, charge an application fee.
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey; 160 properties answered
Statistic 7
The gap between properties with 50 or more units and single unit rentals is 18 points (±11), large enough to hold beyond the margin of error.
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey
Rental homes in properties that charge an application fee, by property size
Share of US rental homes, among properties that answered, 2024. 90% margin of error in brackets.
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey (Census Bureau and HUD). Property size is the number of units on the whole property, not the building.
What this means: a renter applying to a large property should expect a fee almost without exception. Roughly one in five small properties does not charge one at all, which is where most of the gap between the per property figure (81%) and the per home figure (93%) comes from.
How much landlords charge
The public survey file records the typical fee in five bands, as published by the Census Bureau: $1 to $24, $25 to $49, $50 to $74, $75 to $99, and $100 or more. Because only the band is released, no exact average or median fee can be computed from federal data; the honest answer to "what is the average rental application fee" is the most common band. Shares below are among properties that charge a fee.
Statistic 8
$50 to $74 is the most common fee band: 40% (±3) of US rental homes in fee charging properties.
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey; 2,531 properties charge and gave an amount
Statistic 9
The other bands: $25 to $49 for 32% (±3) of those homes, $75 to $99 for 11% (±2), $100 or more for 11% (±2), and under $25 for 6% (±2).
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey; 2,531 properties
Statistic 10
62% (±3) of rental homes in fee charging properties have a typical fee of $50 or more.
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey; 2,531 properties
Statistic 11
Counted by property, $25 to $49 (39% ±6) and $50 to $74 (35% ±10) are statistically tied, and 17% (±5) of fee charging properties ask $100 or more.
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey; 2,531 properties
Statistic 12
Large properties (50+ units): 45% (±4) of homes with a fee are in the $50 to $74 band, and 69% (±3) have a fee of $50 or more.
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey; 1,753 properties
Statistic 13
Properties with 5 to 49 units charge less: $25 to $49 is their most common band, at 53% (±6) of homes with a fee, and only 40% (±6) charge $50 or more, 30 points (±7) below large properties.
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey; 514 properties
Statistic 14
In 2 to 4 unit properties, 56% (±5) of homes with a fee are in the $25 to $49 band.
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey; 121 properties
Statistic 15
19% (±6) of single unit rentals that charge ask $100 or more, against 10% (±2) of homes in properties with 50+ units.
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey; 143 and 1,753 properties
Statistic 16
Among single unit rentals that charge, $25 to $49 and $50 to $74 tie at 37% each (±8 and ±12).
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey; 143 properties
Typical application fee, by property size
Share of rental homes in properties that charge a fee, 2024. Hover a segment for its exact share.
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey. Bands are the survey's own; every share with its margin of error is in the table below.
| Property size | $1 to $24 | $25 to $49 | $50 to $74 | $75 to $99 | $100 or more | Properties |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 unit | 0.6% ±0.7 | 36.6% ±7.5 | 36.9% ±12.1 | 7.2% ±6.5 | 18.7% ±6.4 | 143 |
| 2 to 4 units | 10.3% ±7.9 | 56.4% ±5.3 | 18.4% ±7.4 | 7.4% ±5.0 | 7.5% ±4.0 | 121 |
| 5 to 24 units | 5.0% ±1.7 | 56.8% ±5.6 | 26.4% ±3.6 | 4.4% ±1.5 | 7.5% ±2.4 | 304 |
| 25 to 49 units | 9.7% ±6.3 | 49.1% ±10.7 | 32.6% ±12.4 | 5.4% ±3.1 | 3.3% ±2.3 | 210 |
| 50+ units | 7.5% ±2.5 | 23.2% ±3.1 | 45.1% ±3.8 | 14.3% ±2.1 | 9.8% ±1.6 | 1,753 |
| All rental homes | 6.4% ±1.7 | 32.1% ±2.6 | 39.6% ±3.4 | 11.2% ±1.9 | 10.7% ±1.6 | 2,531 |
| All, counted by property | 1.7% ±1.0 | 39.3% ±6.3 | 34.8% ±10.4 | 7.2% ±5.6 | 17.0% ±5.5 | 2,531 |
Share of rental homes in fee charging properties, by the typical fee band. Bold marks the most common band; two bold cells in a row are statistically tied. 90% margins of error in percentage points. RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey.
What this means: large properties cluster at $50 to $74, while properties with 2 to 49 units cluster at $25 to $49. Single unit rentals stand out at the top of the range: when they charge, they are the most likely to ask $100 or more.
Owners and managers
The survey also records who owns each property and who runs it day to day. Both splits are shown by rental home, where the differences hold beyond the margin of error. Counted by property, the same gaps point the same way but fall inside the margin of error, so we do not report them as findings.
Statistic 17
97% (±1) of homes owned by an LLC, LP or LLP are in properties that charge an application fee, against 83% (±11) of homes owned by individual investors.
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey; 1,593 and 364 properties answered
Statistic 18
97% (±3) of homes run by a management company are in properties that charge, against 82% (±7) of homes managed by the owner or an unpaid helper such as a family member.
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey; 1,319 and 365 properties answered
What this means: professional operations charge the fee as standard practice. For what management companies charge owners rather than renters, see our property management fee statistics.
How often landlords waive the fee
Properties that charge were also asked: "Do you ever waive the rental application fee?" 2,384 of them answered. Most never do.
Statistic 19
21% (±2) of rental homes in fee charging properties are in properties that sometimes waive the fee.
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey; 2,384 properties answered
Statistic 20
Counted by property, only 14% (±6) of properties that charge a fee ever waive it.
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey; 2,384 properties answered
Statistic 21
Large properties waive more often: 23% (±3) of homes in fee charging properties with 50+ units, against 12% (±6) of single unit rentals that charge.
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey; 1,621 and 142 properties answered
What this means: most properties that charge never waive it. Waivers are more common in large properties than in single unit rentals; the survey does not ask why a fee was waived.
Who answered the fee question
The fee question went to every fully interviewed property (assisted living and military properties got a shorter interview without it and are left out), but many left it blank. Census leaves those blanks as "not reported" rather than filling them in, so the share that answered is itself a finding, and the reason this page leads with large properties and rental homes.
Statistic 22
78% (±2) of properties with 50 or more units answered the fee question.
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey; 1,795 of 2,451 fully interviewed properties
Statistic 23
Only 37% (±10) of single unit rentals and 27% (±5) of 2 to 4 unit properties answered it.
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey; 160 of 377 and 147 of 445 fully interviewed properties
Statistic 24
Overall, the properties that answered are 36% (±8) of US rental properties but hold 56% (±3) of rental homes.
RapidEye Research analysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey; 2,663 of 4,364 fully interviewed properties
| Property size | Answered | Charge a fee | Ever waive | Answered (properties) | Charge (properties) | Waive (properties) | Answered, n |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 unit | 37.3% ±10.0 | 80.5% ±11.1 | 12.1% ±6.4 | 37.3% ±10.0 | 80.5% ±11.1 | 12.1% ±6.4 | 160 |
| 2 to 4 units | 28.8% ±4.4 | 83.6% ±7.2 | 25.4% ±9.8 | 27.2% ±4.9 | 80.3% ±9.0 | 25.7% ±9.5 | 147 |
| 5 to 24 units | 50.8% ±7.6 | 90.9% ±3.1 | 19.7% ±5.0 | 50.3% ±10.0 | 89.6% ±3.4 | 15.8% ±5.3 | 333 |
| 25 to 49 units | 63.0% ±6.9 | 95.4% ±2.7 | 20.5% ±6.9 | 62.5% ±6.9 | 95.1% ±3.0 | 19.2% ±6.5 | 228 |
| 50+ units | 81.7% ±2.1 | 98.4% ±0.9 | 22.9% ±2.6 | 78.3% ±2.0 | 97.1% ±2.2 | 21.2% ±2.3 | 1,795 |
| All | 55.8% ±3.4 | 92.7% ±3.0 | 20.6% ±2.3 | 36.3% ±8.4 | 80.9% ±9.6 | 13.8% ±5.6 | 2,663 |
First three columns count rental homes, the next three count properties. "Answered" is the share of fully interviewed rental homes (or properties) whose owners answered the fee question; "Charge a fee" is among those that answered; "Ever waive" is among those that charge and answered the waiver question (142, 121, 297, 203, 1,621 and 2,384 properties). For single unit rentals the two ways of counting are the same. 90% margins of error in percentage points.
Fee caps and the renter side
States set their own rules on application fees, and the fight over them is active. The rules below are summarized from statute or official agency text; this is not a complete list of states, only the ones we verified. Renter surveys give the other side of the same fee.
Statistic 25
New Jersey caps the application fee at $50, adjusted yearly for inflation by the state's Division of Consumer Affairs. The law (P.L.2025, c.405) was signed on January 20, 2026, took effect on May 1, 2026, and does not apply to units in one family or two family homes or to real estate licensees who are not the landlord.
New Jersey Legislature (njleg.state.nj.us)
Statistic 26
California Civil Code section 1950.6 caps the screening fee at $30 per applicant, which landlords may adjust yearly for inflation since January 1, 1998, and no higher than the landlord's actual out of pocket costs, including time spent.
California Legislative Information (ca.gov)
Statistic 27
With that inflation adjustment, Berkeley's Rent Board puts the 2026 maximum tenant screening fee at $68.96. The statute leaves the yearly adjustment to landlords.
City of Berkeley Rent Board (berkeleyca.gov, 2026)
Statistic 28
The District of Columbia caps the application fee at $50, which landlords may adjust for inflation from January 1, 2024, and bars any other fee before a lease is signed.
Council of the District of Columbia (dccouncil.gov)
Statistic 29
New York limits the fee to the actual cost of the background and credit check or $20, whichever is less, and the fee must be waived if the applicant brings a background or credit check from the past 30 days.
New York State Senate, Real Property Law 238-a (nysenate.gov)
Statistic 30
Virginia caps the fee at $50, not counting the landlord's actual out of pocket costs paid to third parties ($32 for public housing and other HUD regulated units).
Code of Virginia 55.1-1203 (virginia.gov)
Statistic 31
Delaware caps the fee at the greater of 10% of the monthly rent or $50.
Delaware Code, Title 25, section 5514 (delaware.gov)
Statistic 32
Vermont bans rental application fees outright: a landlord "shall not charge an application fee".
Vermont Statutes, Title 9, section 4456a (vermont.gov)
Statistic 33
On the renter side, 73% of recent renters paid an application fee in 2025, down from 79% in 2024 and a peak of 84% in 2023.
Zillow Consumer Housing Trends Report, renters (zillow.com, 2025)
Statistic 34
The median application fee for recent renters was $50 in 2025, and $75 among renters who paid any fee.
Zillow Consumer Housing Trends Report, renters (zillow.com, 2025)
Statistic 35
The White House said in July 2023 that rental application fees "can be up to $100 or more per application" and often exceed the cost of the checks they pay for.
The White House, rental junk fees fact sheet (archives.gov, 2023)
Statistic 36
HUD repeated the same "$100 or more per application" figure in its July 2023 announcement on rental housing fees.
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (hud.gov, 2023)
| Jurisdiction | Rule | Law |
|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | $50, adjusted yearly by the state; one and two family homes exempt; in effect May 1, 2026 | P.L.2025, c.405 |
| California | $30 per applicant, which landlords may raise yearly with inflation since 1998 ($68.96 in 2026 per Berkeley); no more than actual costs | Civil Code 1950.6 |
| District of Columbia | $50, may be inflation adjusted from 2024 | D.C. Code 42-3505.10 |
| New York | Actual cost or $20, whichever is less; waived with a check from the past 30 days | Real Property Law 238-a |
| Virginia | $50 plus actual third party costs ($32 for HUD regulated units) | Code 55.1-1203 |
| Delaware | Greater of 10% of monthly rent or $50 | 25 Del. C. 5514 |
| Vermont | No application fee allowed | 9 V.S.A. 4456a |
Checked against statute or official agency text on November 3, 2026. Other states and cities have their own rules; check local law before setting a fee.
What this means: renter surveys and the owner survey measure different things, so their numbers are not directly comparable. Zillow (zillow.com) asks renters who recently moved whether they paid a fee; the federal survey asks owners whether the property charges one, and some fees are waived. Application fees sit alongside the deposit in a renter's move in costs; see our security deposit statistics for that side.
Cite this study
Academic or press use: copy a ready-made reference. RapidEye is the publisher.
Quick FAQ
What percentage of landlords charge a rental application fee?
81% of US rental properties charge an application fee (margin of error 10 points), and because large properties charge almost universally, 93% of rental homes sit in a property that charges one (margin 3 points). That is 98% of homes in properties with 50 or more units against 81% of single unit rentals. These are figures among owners and managers who answered the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey, computed by RapidEye Research. The survey counts properties, not landlords: an owner of ten properties counts ten times, so no federal figure counts landlords directly.
What is the average rental application fee?
No exact average or median exists in the federal data, because the Census Bureau's public file records the fee only in bands. The most common band is $50 to $74: it covers 40% of rental homes in properties that charge a fee, and 62% of those homes have a typical fee of $50 or more. Counted by property instead, $25 to $49 (39%) and $50 to $74 (35%) are statistically tied. On the renter side, Zillow reports a median fee of $50 for recent renters in 2025.
Do landlords ever waive the application fee?
Most do not. Only 14% of rental properties that charge an application fee say they ever waive it, covering 21% of rental homes in fee charging properties. Large properties waive more often: 23% of homes in fee charging properties with 50 or more units, against 12% of single unit rentals.
Which states cap rental application fees?
Among the jurisdictions we verified in statute text: New Jersey caps the fee at $50 (law signed January 20, 2026, in effect May 1, 2026, with one and two family homes exempt), the District of Columbia at $50, Virginia at $50 plus third party costs ($32 for HUD regulated units), Delaware at the greater of 10% of monthly rent or $50, and New York at the actual screening cost or $20, whichever is less. California sets $30 per applicant, which landlords may raise yearly with inflation since 1998; Berkeley's Rent Board puts the 2026 maximum at $68.96. Vermont bans application fees. This is not a complete list of states.
Do small landlords charge application fees?
Most do, but less often than large properties. 81% of single unit rentals and 84% of homes in 2 to 4 unit properties are in properties that charge an application fee, against 98% in properties with 50 or more units. When single unit rentals do charge, they more often ask $100 or more: 19% of them, against 10% of homes in large properties.
Data sources
Every figure on this page traces to one of these named public sources, each checked against the original before publishing. Survey figures are RapidEye Research computations from the federal microdata.
U.S. Census Bureau2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey public use file, codebook and methodologycensus.gov
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban DevelopmentSurvey sponsor; 2023 announcement on rental housing feeshud.gov
New Jersey LegislatureEnacted law text and bill history, application fee capnjleg.state.nj.us
California Legislative InformationCivil Code section 1950.6, application screening feesca.gov
City of Berkeley Rent BoardTenant screening and application fee guidance, 2026berkeleyca.gov
Council of the District of ColumbiaD.C. Code section 42-3505.10, application feesdccouncil.gov
New York State SenateReal Property Law section 238-a, feesnysenate.gov
Code of VirginiaSection 55.1-1203, application and depositsvirginia.gov
Delaware CodeTitle 25, chapter 55, residential landlord and tenantdelaware.gov
Vermont General AssemblyTitle 9, section 4456a, residential rental applicationsvermont.gov
ZillowConsumer Housing Trends Report, renters, 2025zillow.com
The White House (archived)Fact sheet on rental housing junk fees, July 2023archives.gov
RapidEye ResearchAnalysis of the 2024 Rental Housing Finance Survey microdatarapideyeinspections.com