Rental ads and total price: how to show mandatory fees
A growing number of rules say a rental ad should show the real monthly price, with every mandatory fee included, not a low rent with fees revealed later. Colorado requires one prominent total price in rental ads from January 1, 2026, and the FTC and Colorado settled with a large landlord in December 2025 over hidden fees. Even where no law applies, quoting the full price up front prevents disputes and wasted showings.
What "total price" means
The idea is simple: if a renter must pay a charge every month just to live in the unit, it belongs in the price shown in the ad. A trash fee, a pest control fee, a mandatory amenity or package fee and a required technology fee all count. A one-time charge such as an application fee or a deposit is not part of the monthly price, but it should still be listed clearly. Charges the tenant pays directly to a utility company are generally treated differently, because they are billed by someone else and depend on use.
Example a made-up unit rents for $1,200 with a mandatory $50 monthly trash and pest fee. The ad should show $1,250 a month as the main price, with a line below such as "$1,200 rent plus $50 required services".
Colorado: one prominent total
Colorado's HB25-1090 (the "honest pricing" law) takes effect for rental housing on January 1, 2026, according to a law firm summary. It says the advertised price must include all mandatory charges, except charges billed directly by a utility provider, and the total must be shown as a single, prominent figure (see Spencer Fane's summary and the bill). Read the bill text or ask a Colorado lawyer how it applies to your unit before you rely on a summary.
The FTC action that put this in the news
In December 2025 the FTC announced that Greystar agreed to pay $24 million to settle a lawsuit brought with Colorado over advertising that left out mandatory fees, and the order requires it to show total monthly prices and mandatory fees clearly (see the FTC announcement). The case involved a very large landlord, but it shows how regulators read an ad: the first number a renter sees must be a number they can actually pay.
Other states and cities
Several states have passed or are considering laws on hidden or "junk" fees in housing, and general consumer protection laws against deceptive pricing can reach a rental ad anywhere. Details and start dates change, so search your state attorney general's site for "rental fees advertising" and check your city's rules too. When in doubt, treat the ad as if the stricter rule applied.
How to write the ad
- Put the monthly total, including every required monthly charge, at the top, in the same size as any other price.
- Under it, show the breakdown: rent, then each required monthly charge by name.
- List one-time costs separately: application fee, deposit, move-in fee, pet deposit. See application fee limits by state.
- Say which utilities the tenant pays and to whom. See how to state utilities in an ad.
- Mark optional charges as optional, for example parking or a pet fee, and say who must pay them.
- Make sure the lease shows the same numbers as the ad.
How DoorKeeping handles it
A DoorKeeping listing page shows the rent, the deposit and every fee on the listing together, and rent, deposit and the available date come prefilled from the unit and its last lease. You choose the numbers; DoorKeeping does not set or suggest rents or fees. Title, description and pet notes are checked for fair housing wording on save. DoorKeeping gives no legal advice, so check your state's pricing rule. See the connect page.
Sources
- Spencer Fane: The price is right and final, Colorado HB 25-1090, read Oct 31, 2026
- Colorado General Assembly: HB25-1090, read Oct 31, 2026
- FTC: Greystar agrees to pay $24 million to stop deceptive advertising practices (December 2025), read Oct 31, 2026
- DoorKeeping: Connect Claude or ChatGPT (steps and tools list), read Oct 31, 2026
Questions
- Does a rental ad have to include mandatory fees in the price?
- In Colorado from January 1, 2026, yes, as one prominent total. Other states have their own rules, and deceptive pricing laws can apply elsewhere, so show the full monthly price anyway.
- Do utilities count in the total price?
- Charges billed directly by a utility company are generally not included, but charges you collect, such as a flat water or trash fee, are.
- Is a security deposit part of the monthly price?
- No. It is a one-time amount. List it clearly beside the price.