The Federal Trade Commission is seeking public comment on an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to address unfair or deceptive rental housing fee practices, including hidden mandatory fees not disclosed in advertised rent. The proposed rule would require clear disclosure of total rent and all associated fees, and would allow the FTC to seek civil penalties for violations. Past FTC enforcement actions against Invitation Homes and Greystar Real Estate Partners resulted in $48 million and $24 million settlements, respectively, for deceptive rent advertising practices.
In-house legal teams at rental housing providers, property management companies, and related vendors should review lease agreements, advertising contracts, and service provider agreements to ensure compliance with potential FTC rules on rental fee transparency. Lease agreements must include clear, conspicuous disclosures of all mandatory fees (application, security deposit, monthly recurring fees) and the total rent including all charges. Advertising contracts should prohibit misleading rent advertisements that exclude mandatory fees, and clauses related to fee refundability, optionality, and recurrence should be updated to align with proposed disclosure requirements. Vendor agreements with property management software providers should ensure fee disclosure features comply with the anticipated rule.
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Real EstateOfficial Press Release
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2026/03/ftc-seeks-public-comment-proposed-rulemaking-regarding-unfair-or-deceptive-rental-housing-fee
FTC 2026 0266 0001
https://www.regulations.gov/document/FTC-2026-0266-0001
Federal Trade Commission Enforcement Page
https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement
"FTC Seeks Public Comment on a Proposed Rulemaking Regarding Unfair or Deceptive Rental Housing Fee Practices"
"March 12, 2026"
"Federal Trade Commission"
"Invitation Homes, the largest single-family home rental housing provider in the country"
"Unfair and deceptive rental housing fee practices violate federal law."
"violated the FTC Act by, among other things, excluding mandatory monthly fees from the advertised rent."
$49.8M
The FTC and four states alleged that Progress Residential and Pretium Partners misled renters about rental prices and fees, improperly withheld security deposits, and engaged in other unlawful conduct. Under a proposed settlement, the companies will pay $49.75 million and must change their pricing, deposit, and customer-service practices.
The FTC and 22 state attorneys general filed an updated complaint alleging that Amazon secretly added surcharges to advertising auction prices and misled advertisers about the reasons for price increases. The release describes newly unredacted allegations; it does not report a judgment, settlement, or monetary penalty.
$600K
The FTC and Washington alleged that Riverside Payments and affiliates misrepresented savings and cancellation terms, concealed fees and auto-renewing contracts, and obtained consumers’ financial information using false or fraudulent statements. The proposed stipulated order requires a $600,000 payment, customer notice and a period to rescind agreements without penalty, and prohibits deceptive claims while requiring clear disclosures, informed consent for negative-option billing, and a simple cancellation method.
FTC staff announced warning letters to 25 healthcare plan marketers and lead generators about deceptive or unfair claims concerning plan benefits, coverage, costs, and enrollment incentives. The letters do not allege wrongdoing by their recipients or impose penalties; they encourage companies to review their advertisements for compliance.
The FTC summarized enforcement actions and other efforts targeting businesses and individuals allegedly impersonating government agencies or legitimate businesses. The release reports more than $80 million in consumer redress across prior actions and takedowns of 19 websites, but it does not announce a new settlement or impose a specific penalty.
The FTC and state and local co-plaintiffs filed a lawsuit alleging Toast imposed hidden and unauthorized fees, enrolled restaurants in add-ons without consent, obstructed subscription cancellations, and misrepresented customer support availability. The complaint is pending in federal court; the press release announces no monetary penalty or imposed remedy.