Application Fee - Massachusetts - A No No? O the Drama!

[Frank Fiore Jr]

Hello.....

Well it has come to my attention that charging an application fee in Massachusetts in not legal? Or shall I say BREAKING THE LAW! Looking for confirmation? Anyone?

In this situation; I finally got around to posting my rental on RocketLease.com a site I found while reading posts on this lovely little gem of a site. :)

For those who don't know they offer an online application and run the Background + Credit + Eviction + Sex offender report. The fee for this is paid by the applicant. And I don't receive the application in less they agree to the terms and pay for the reports.

Although I look at this as paying for the reports I can see how from a legal standpoint they can argue they are also paying to fill out the application. (they fill it out before paying but I don't get it until the reports are run)

This is my first time trying this out, if anyone is familiar with this site I wouldn't mind hearing about success or failure stories.

I really wanted a one stop shop so potential applicants wouldn't have to go to multiple sites to fill out an application and run the reports.

Ideally I want them to pay for the reports, I see this as a first step to weeding out potentially problems!

[Shaun Reilly]

Originally posted by Thomas Quinn:

I did not mean a app fee but just the cost to run the reports

I know exactly what you mean. But by the letter of the law you are not allowed to take ANY money from a perspective tenant, even the exact cost of running reports.

MA Law says the only things that can be collected are first months rent, last months rent, a security deposit and a lock/key fee. Anything else is technically illegal. Stupid, but that is what the law says.

Now I think that using a site like the one Frank was talking about or using something like SmartMove gets around this problem since the wannabe tenant is purchasing the reports and just giving you access to them.