Ask your owners to be "fee-free" and distinguish your community from the competition - it's a great selling feature, and you can make it up in rent if you price your product correctly.

Admin fees have always been BS! They know it but more importantly... We know it! Up the app fee and do away with "admin fees"! It's our job to process the app... Get the rental and employment verification, do the paperwork blah blah... It's what we do!

We started just charging a reservation fee of $150 and just put it towards the first month’s rent when approved. We also charge an application fee $35.

What does your company say that fee covers?

We eliminated the admin and increased the app fee. Success!

If you advertise a rent price, then tell someone when they come to look at the place or when they start the paperwork that you are charging an admin fee, you just committed an unfair and deceptive trade practice. It would be like Best Buy advertising a TV for $1000 and when you go to pay, they hit you with a fee or force you to buy a warranty. The class actions already hit the hotels for the undisclosed resort fees which is why they are all disclosed now at the time of reservation and in the fine print of the quoted prices. Someday your luck will run out!