Know your rights · New York
Stop paying application fees. It's the law.
Under New York's Housing Stability & Tenant Protection Act (Real Property Law §238-a), a landlord or agent cannot charge more than $20 for a rental application — and they must waive that fee entirely if you provide your own background check and credit check conducted within the last 30 days.
Apply to ten apartments the old way and that's up to $200 in fees, plus a hard credit pull each time. Bring your own recent report, and the law says the fee comes off.
How a CertRent profile fits in
A CertRent profile packages your recent, verified information — identity, bank-confirmed rent history, income, and checked references — in one place you can share for free. Bringing a current, self-provided report is exactly what §238-a is designed around, so a CertRent profile may qualify you to have the application fee waived. Because rules and what each landlord accepts can vary, ask the landlord to confirm, and keep it recent (within 30 days).
Copy-and-paste: ask for the waiver
Send this to a landlord or broker when you apply:
Hi [Name],
I'm very interested in [address / unit]. Under New York Real Property Law §238-a, application fees are capped at $20 and must be waived when an applicant provides their own recent background and credit information. I can share a verified renter profile (identity, bank-confirmed rent history, income, and landlord references) dated within the last 30 days, so no application fee should be needed. Happy to send the link right away — please let me know. Thank you!
Best,
[Your name]
Good to know
- The $20 cap and waiver apply to most residential rentals in New York State.
- "Recent" means your report should be from within the last 30 days — a CertRent profile is easy to refresh.
- This is general information about your rights, not legal advice. If a landlord charges more than $20 or refuses a valid waiver, you can contact the NY Attorney General's office or a local housing legal-aid organization.