Penalty Amount
$48,000,000
Consumers Affected
444,131
Consumer fraud case where the FTC settled with Invitation Homes for deceiving renters with undisclosed fees and unlawful charges, including hidden fees and unfair security deposit withholdings. The company must pay over $47.2 million in refunds to affected consumers and change its leasing practices.
Invitation Homes must pay $48 million in consumer refunds, clearly disclose lease prices, establish fair security deposit policies, cease deceptive practices, and comply with a consent order.
In-house legal teams at real estate and property management companies should review residential lease agreements to ensure all fees (including smart home technology, utility management, and other ancillary services) are clearly disclosed upfront in plain language. Vendor contracts with service providers (e.g., smart home tech, utility management, deposit refund administrators) should include explicit prohibitions on undisclosed fees and requirements to itemize all charges. Security deposit handling procedures and related contracts should be updated to align with fair refund policies, explicitly excluding normal wear and tear from deductible damages and prohibiting charges for pre-existing damage or renovations. Lease clauses should be revised to remove deceptive fee structures and ensure full compliance with FTC deceptive practices standards.
Entity
Invitation Homes
Industry
Real EstateOfficial Press Release
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/03/ftc-sends-checks-totaling-more-472-million-consumers-deceived-invitation-homes-undisclosed-fees
ftc takes action against invitation homes deceiving renters
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/09/ftc-takes-action-against-invitation-homes-deceiving-renters-charging-junk-fees-withholding-security
Federal Trade Commission Enforcement Page
https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement
"Invitation Homes"
"turn over $48 million"
"deceiving applicants about lease costs, charging renters undisclosed fees, failing to inspect homes before residents moved in, and unfairly withholding tenants’ security deposits when they moved out."
$750K
The FTC finalized an order against Vanilla Chip LLC (doing business as TruHeight) and its principals for deceptively advertising height-enhancing supplements for children and teens without scientific evidence. The company also used fake reviews and incentivized 5-star ratings. The order requires a $750,000 payment and prohibits false health claims and deceptive review practices.
$2.3M
The FTC alleged that RentGrow, a tenant screening company, violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) by failing to use reasonable procedures to ensure the accuracy of its reports, including by reporting duplicate records and failing to disclose data sources. RentGrow agreed to pay a $2.25 million penalty and is prohibited from further FCRA violations and from misrepresenting dispute outcomes.
The FTC and New York Attorney General took action against Handy Technologies for deceptive earnings claims and failure to disclose fees and fines that led to millions of dollars being withheld from workers' wages. The FTC is sending over $2.7 million in refunds to 62,893 affected consumers.
$35.0M
The FTC alleged that Hopper, a travel booking app, charged consumers hidden and pre-selected fees (Tip and VIP Support) without their consent, misrepresented the benefits of VIP Support and Price Freeze services, and failed to clearly disclose total prices. Hopper agreed to pay $35 million for consumer redress and is prohibited from misrepresenting fees under a proposed order.
$1.5M
The FTC finalized a settlement with Publishing.com LLC and its principals for misleading consumers about potential earnings from self-publishing products. The company will pay $1.5 million and is prohibited from making unsubstantiated earnings claims, failing to disclose refund terms, and misrepresenting endorsements and reviews.
The FTC is seeking public comment on a proposed policy statement addressing concerns that AI companies may be manipulating AI system outputs contrary to consumer expectations for objectivity and accuracy. The statement explains that such conduct could be considered deceptive under Section 5 of the FTC Act. The public comment period runs until July 31, 2026.