Renting an apartment should be simple: pay rent, follow the lease, live your life. But for some tenants, that process comes with shady surprises like bogus “processing fees,” mysterious “move-in costs,” or even “pet paperwork charges.” These aren’t just annoying—they’re sometimes completely illegal.
Why would a landlord tack on fees that don’t stand up to the law? The answer lies in a mix of greed, power dynamics, and the fact that many renters don’t know their rights.
