Amid Affordability Crisis, Nation’s Largest Property Management Company Accused of Obscuring True Cost of Monthly Rent and Fees
WASHINGTON – Consumer advocates praised the Colorado Attorney General and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for reaching a settlement yesterday resulting in a significant, $24 million stipulated judgment against Greystar to settle claims that it violated federal law by charging hidden, mandatory fees. FTC Chairman Andrew Ferguson also directed FTC staff to “begin the process of proposing a rule to address unfair or deceptive fees in rental housing.”
“We applaud the Colorado Attorney General and the FTC for taking action to protect tenants and the FTC for its commitment to issue a rule to curb rental housing junk fees,” said Ariel Nelson, senior attorney at NCLC and co-author of NCLC’s recent report on rental junk fees. “Tenants around the country face a bewildering array of unavoidable rental housing junk fees, and we need a rule to ensure fairness in the market for tenants and landlords across the country.”
“In a time of rising costs and record consumer debt, renters are hurting. It’s significant that the FTC has recognized the devastating impact of the affordability crisis on renters,” said Chi Chi Wu, director of consumer reporting and data advocacy at NCLC. “These additional fees are likely to disproportionately impact renters of color. People of color are more likely to be renters and more likely to be cost-burdened by the price of rent.”
Deception and unfairness in today’s rental markets is not limited to Greystar. To meaningfully help renters, the FTC must do more than require disclosure of fees, advocates stressed.
“Any FTC rule should provide significant limits on the types of fees landlords can impose and should not allow landlords to abuse the system,” said Steven Sharpe, senior attorney at NCLC and co-author of NCLC’s recent report on rental junk fees
In addition to limiting fees, the current administration cannot truly improve affordability for tenants without restoring significant portions of the federal government. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) had been addressing affordability in rental housing, but much of these agencies have been dismantled under President Trump.
“The CFPB and HUD had been working hard to protect tenants and their wallets, and gutting them has left fewer hands on deck to address the housing affordability crisis in this country,” said Lauren Saunders, associate director and director of federal advocacy at NCLC.
Related Resources
- Report: “What the Heck, Dude!”: How States Can Fight Rental Housing Junk Fees, Nov. 13, 2025
- Comments Concerning Rental Housing Junk Fees in Response to the FTC’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Feb. 7, 2024
- Report: Too Damn High: How Junk Fees Add to Skyrocketing Rents, March 13, 2023
- Group Comments in Response to the FTC’s Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking Regarding Unfair or Deceptive Fees, Feb. 8, 2023
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