The Rental Application Fee Markup Index
We cross-referenced every state's application-fee law against what tenant screening actually costs a landlord (~$30) and what they typically charge you (~$55). The gap is the markup — and it's data that exists nowhere else.
Is your application fee legal?
Your state + the amount you paid → the verdict and the markup, instantly.
Informational only, not legal advice.
Whether the fee is within your state's law, how it compares to the ~$30 real cost of screening, and a one-click refund letter if you were overcharged.
The full index
Every state: the cap, where the law draws the line, the real cost of screening, what's typically charged, and whether you can reuse one screening report.
| State | Rule | Legal line | Real cost | Typical charged | Reusable report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | Banned — no fee allowed | $0 (banned) | $30 | $55 | — |
| Vermont | Banned — no fee allowed | $0 (banned) | $30 | $55 | — |
| California | Actual cost (with $ ceiling) | actual cost, ≤ ~$62 | $30 | $55 | — |
| Delaware | Hard $ cap | $50 max | $30 | $55 | — |
| New York | Hard $ cap | $20 max | $30 | $55 | yes |
| Virginia | Hard $ cap | $50 max | $30 | $55 | — |
| Wisconsin | Hard $ cap | $25 max | $30 | $55 | yes |
| Colorado | Actual cost only | actual cost only | $30 | $55 | yes |
| Connecticut | Actual cost only | actual cost only | $30 | $55 | yes |
| Oregon | Actual cost only | actual cost only | $30 | $55 | yes |
| Washington | Actual cost only | actual cost only | $30 | $55 | — |
| Maryland | Refundable over a threshold | refund over $25 | $30 | $55 | — |
| Minnesota | Refundable over a threshold | refundable balance | $30 | $55 | — |
| Nevada | Refundable over a threshold | refundable balance | $30 | $55 | — |
| Arizona | No cap | no cap | $30 | $55 | — |
| Florida | No cap | no cap | $30 | $55 | — |
| Georgia | No cap | no cap | $30 | $55 | — |
| Illinois | No cap | no cap | $30 | $55 | — |
| Michigan | No cap | no cap | $30 | $55 | — |
| New Jersey | No cap | no cap | $30 | $55 | — |
| North Carolina | No cap | no cap | $30 | $55 | — |
| Ohio | No cap | no cap | $30 | $55 | — |
| Pennsylvania | No cap | no cap | $30 | $55 | — |
| Texas | No cap | no cap | $30 | $55 | — |
Methodology: state caps are from each state's statute; screening costs are the landlord-side wholesale price of a full credit + criminal + eviction screen. Informational only — verify the statute and current costs.