Unexpected fees are a major pain point for renters. Nearly six in 10 renters say they’d stop considering a property if surprise fees increased the price beyond what was originally advertised. That’s according to the latest survey by Apartments.com.
And in a growing number of states, price transparency will soon be a legal requirement.
If you have properties in Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, or Nevada, or here’s what you need to know.
What’s required?
New laws are requiring multifamily properties to display all-in pricing for their advertised units. This is a shift away from the common practice of listing only the base rent.
What’s the difference? All-in pricing includes all additional expenses that all residents are required to pay — like a flat technology fee or pest control fee. The base rent, on the other hand, is typically lower than what renters are ultimately required to pay.
All-in pricing is what the overwhelming majority of renters want to see. Over 80 percent of renters say they prefer that properties advertise the total price, according to the recent Apartments.com survey. That’s compared to only 11 percent who prefer to see the base price. (The remaining 6 percent have no preference.)
When are the laws going into effect?
Price transparency laws in several states are going into effect over the next few months:
- Massachusetts: September 2, 2025
- Connecticut: October 1, 2025
- Nevada: October 1, 2025
- Colorado: January 1, 2026
Laws governing price transparency have also been passed in Minnesota. Changes to Apartments.com’s presentation of pricing information for Minnesota properties will go into effect in late September.
How Apartments.com is helping you stay compliant
Apartments.com is rolling out new ways to help your affected properties stay in compliance with the new legislation.
When renters search on Apartments.com, they’ll see more detailed price information in the individual placards that show up within the search results. This will be implemented for all Massachusetts properties starting August 20 and coming later for other states.
All properties that have provided their full schedule of fees will now display the total required monthly cost instead of the base rent. A blue checkmark will indicate this is the total monthly price. The same checkmark will apply if properties have confirmed that they have no required monthly fees.
If available, the lease term will also be displayed within the placard.
What if the schedule of fees isn’t available? These properties will display the base rent with a note that additional fees will apply, and the checkmark will not be shown.
Starting September 10, properties that provide full pricing information will be prioritized in search results, within the sort order determined by their advertising package. For example, Diamond Plus properties with full pricing information will appear before Diamond Plus properties without.
What properties need to do to stay legally compliant
To ensure your property displays accurate pricing information in accordance with the latest legislation, log in to your customer portal on Apartments.com and confirm all information is correct.
You’ll need to:
- List the lease duration for your advertised rents
- Indicate whether your property has any monthly required fees
- Provide your full schedule of fees (or sync this information from your property management software)
Currently, synchronization is available for Entrata and Engrain. RealPage, RentCafé, and Funnel will be supported by late August, and MRI and AppFolio will be added later this year. Learn more about automating your updates through a feed.
For more details on adding your fees and policies, check out the Apartments.com Help Center.
How to give renters a personalized cost estimate
The new state laws require displaying the all-in price. But final pricing won’t necessarily be the same in all situations.
Monthly fees may vary by renters’ preferences and circumstances — such as if your property charges additional fees for pets, parking, or storage.
How can you give renters this information upfront, before you even know what their needs will be?
Apartments.com’s Rent Estimate Calculator lets renters determine their personal monthly cost, depending on their situation. To enable this interactive feature, just provide your full schedule of fees, including both optional and required fees. If your pricing varies by move-in date or lease term, make sure to provide this information. The calculator also reflects any concessions that may apply.
See how the Rent Estimate Calculator works:
Why price transparency matters
Price transparency goes beyond legal compliance. Price consistently ranks as renters’ #1 consideration when selecting a place to live, and renters overwhelmingly prefer to see an accurate estimate of how much they’ll pay after they move in.
Transparency can build renter trust and increase the likelihood that prospective residents actually sign a lease. Listings that have enabled the Rent Estimate Calculator receive an average of 2.5x more applications directly from Apartments.com than those without the calculator.
Learn more about price transparency
Discover why renters are demanding more transparent pricing and how the multifamily is responding:
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