Can a landlord include internet in the rent of an apartment building, and what are the FCC rules?
Yes. A landlord can sign a bulk agreement with an internet provider and include service in rent or charge a flat amount. The FCC's 2022 order bars providers from exclusive revenue-sharing deals and from graduated payments that rise with sign-ups, and requires disclosure of exclusive marketing, but standard bulk billing is not affected.
What a bulk internet agreement is
A bulk agreement means you contract with a provider to serve the building, and every unit gets service on one bill to you. You then include it in rent, add a flat line to each lease, or split it by a stated method. It differs from each tenant picking their own provider.
Small buildings often cannot get a bulk deal. Providers set minimum sizes, so ask each provider what they offer at your unit count before building a plan around it.
What the FCC order changed
The FCC released an order on February 15, 2022. It bars providers from entering or enforcing agreements that give exclusive rights to serve a building in exchange for revenue sharing with the owner, and from paying owners on a graduated basis that rises with the number of tenants who subscribe. Providers must also disclose any exclusive marketing agreement to tenants in plain language. Standard bulk billing is not affected if it lacks graduated revenue sharing or an exclusive-access component (Davis Wright Tremaine summary, read 2026-10-31).
In practice: you can still sign a bulk deal, but do not accept a payment from a provider that depends on how many tenants sign up or on keeping others out. Have the provider confirm the structure in writing.
Questions to ask a provider
- What speeds per unit are included, and how are they measured?
- What is the monthly price per unit, and does it change with vacancies?
- Who installs and owns the wiring and equipment inside the building?
- How long is the term, and what happens at the end?
- Is there any payment to us, and is it fixed or tied to sign-ups?
- Who handles tenant support calls?
Price it into rent
Work out your cost per unit and decide whether to raise rent or add a flat charge. Tell tenants what is included in writing before they sign, and check your state's rules on charging for services.
Example a made-up 16-unit building. The provider charges $35 per unit per month, so $560 a month or $6,720 a year. If you raise rent by $40 on each unit, you collect $640 a month, $80 more than the cost. If one unit is vacant, you still pay $35 for it but collect $40 less: you collect 15 x $40 = $600 against $560 of cost, so your margin falls from $80 to $40. Decide how you will treat vacant units before signing.
Record the provider bill and any tenant amounts to the same property so the net is visible. See recording tenant utility reimbursements.
What tenants should be told
If service is included, say so in the lease, along with the speeds and what happens if it goes down. Tell tenants who to call for a support problem and how long you expect an outage to last. If the provider has an exclusive marketing arrangement with the building, the FCC order requires the provider to disclose it in plain language in its marketing to tenants, so check what they send.
Do not tell tenants they must use the bulk provider unless your agreement and state law allow it. Some tenants will want their own service. Ask the provider whether the building wiring permits other providers, and write the answer into your policy.
How DoorKeeping handles it
DoorKeeping reads the provider bill, codes it to the property and matches the rent-in-bank deposits against each lease's charges, including a flat internet line if you add one. It does not sell internet or contract with providers. It costs $2 per unit per month with every feature included.
Sources
Questions
- Can a landlord include internet in rent?
- Yes. Many landlords contract for service and price it into rent or add a flat charge. Put what is included in the lease.
- Can a provider pay me for exclusive access?
- Not under the FCC's 2022 order, which bars exclusive revenue-sharing agreements. Check the agreement before you sign.
- Does the FCC ban bulk billing?
- Not in the 2022 order. It states that standard bulk billing without graduated revenue sharing or exclusive access is not affected.