THE RULES ARE ALREADY CHANGING There is no single national rental-fee disclosure standard today. Instead, landlords are dealing with a growing collection of state and local requirements.
Here are a few examples listed in Zillow’s guide to fee transparency:
Massachusetts: Its junk-fee regulations took effect in September 2025 and require businesses, including landlords, to disclose total pricing, including mandatory charges, before collecting personal information from consumers. Colorado : A law that took effect January 1, 2026, requires clear and conspicuous pricing disclosures and generally includes mandatory charges that a renter cannot reasonably avoid in the advertised total price.
Connecticut, Minnesota, Nevada and Virginia: These states have also adopted rental price-transparency requirements, although the details differ from state to state.
CITIES ARE GETTING INTO THE ACT
Seattle is a good example of why local requirements belong on a landlord's checklist. On August 11, 2026, the Seattle City Council approved legislation aimed at rental “junk fees.” The ordinance requires landlords to disclose rent, utilities, mandatory and optional fees and the total monthly cost in rental advertisements, applications and lease disclosures. It also prohibits certain fees, including charges for common-area access, package collection, and some pet-related charges. The ordinance is scheduled to take effect July 1, 2027.
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