North Carolina · application fee law
Are Rental Application Fees Legal in North Carolina?
What North Carolina lets a landlord charge to apply — and how that compares to what screening actually costs.
The legal line in North Carolina
no cap — North Carolina caps several other rental fees but not application/screening fees. Those are set by the landlord and usually non-refundable.
What screening actually costs
A full tenant screen costs a landlord about $30. Landlords typically charge applicants $55 — so any fee well above ~$30 is mostly markup.
| Cap type | No cap |
|---|---|
| The legal line | no cap |
| Refund rights | No statutory refund right for application fees. |
| Receipt required | Not specified |
| Reusable screening report | Not specified |
| Statute | N.C. Gen. Stat. ch. 42 (no application-fee cap) |
Check your North Carolina application fee
We'll compare it to the law and the real cost of screening.
How North Carolina compares
See every state's cap, the real cost of screening, and the markup landlords add — the full picture in one place.
Informational only, not legal advice — verify N.C. Gen. Stat. ch. 42 (no application-fee cap) and current screening costs before acting.