Guardian Finds 125 Greystar Rental Fees Across 1 Million Units
Updated
Updated · texasstandard.org · Jun 25
Guardian Finds 125 Greystar Rental Fees Across 1 Million Units
2 articles · Updated · texasstandard.org · Jun 25
Summary
Greystar, the largest U.S. apartment owner-manager, was found by The Guardian to use 125 different named fees, with most of 18 reviewed leases carrying five to 11 mandatory charges on top of rent.
Texas is central to that footprint: Greystar oversees just over 200,000 units there, including about 57,000 in Dallas-Fort Worth, 44,000 in Houston and 32,000 in Austin.
At Addison Grove near Dallas, the report found 13 mandatory fees, including $16.75 a month for boiler management and $2 for pest control, while usage-based utility charges were excluded from advertised rent.
The investigation said fees are generally disclosed in listings or leases but can still confuse renters, and nonpayment of mandatory charges can trigger eviction just like unpaid rent.
Federal scrutiny is building: the FTC is drafting rental junk-fee rules after a December settlement with Greystar, while a Democratic bill to ban such fees lacks Republican support.