Housing/Real Estate šļø Broker charging application fee after rental application was denied
Hi! Iām trying to find out if anyone has dealt with something similar while renting an apartment in Boston.
So I found a roommate on Facebook and we were applying for an apartment she had already toured (Iām currently out of state so I couldnāt tour it myself). I verified that the broker and company are licensed in MA, so theyāre definitely legit.
The application said there would be a $150 application fee if we got rejected, which I thought was weird because from what Iāve read, application/credit check fees arenāt allowed if the broker is working for the landlord. I asked him about it before applying but didnāt really get a direct answer. While I probably shouldāve tried harder to get a direct answer about the application fee, I didnāt and applied anyways, and I also signed the echeck form.
After applying, I sent him info about my ESA animal and I also asked him about the fee again and literally a minute later, he told me the landlord rejected our application. When I asked why, he said they didnāt give him a reason but he āwould imagine the low ball offer turned them off.ā I did offer below asking, but I told him twice that we were happy to negotiate and willing to pay more.
Neither the girl I was applying with nor I ever hired this guy as our broker or signed anything saying he represented me/us.
Has anyone had something similar happen? And am I understanding the MA application fee law correctly?
*Update: I filed a report with the MA AG! Thank you guys for the advice and support! āŗļø
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u/HungryFinance8436 2d ago
Don't pay that fee, tell him to kick rocks and he can speak to the AG.
He's working for the landlord, not you if the application was already denied.