New rental fee ordinance takes effect October 1 

On May 28, 2026, the Austin City Council passed an ordinance requiring housing providers with five or more residential units to give prospective tenants a written, itemized list of all mandatory, optional, and estimated variable fees before quoting rent or accepting applications. The goal is to help renters understand the full cost of living in a unit and avoid unexpected charges. All rental advertisements must include the cost of rent and any recurring fixed fees.

The ordinance takes effect October 1, 2026 for providers with 50 or more units, and on January 1, 2027 for those with 5–49 units. Next steps include designating an official to oversee enforcement, launching a public awareness campaign, and providing a follow‑up report six months after implementation.

Visit the May 28th Council Meeting page (Item 45) to view the ordinance and staff report: www.austintexas.gov/council/2026/20260528-reg#045

What will these new rules do?

• This ordinance applies to landlords that rent or lease 5 or more dwelling units or mobile home/RV/trailer (MH/RV) spaces. 
• Landlords must provide a written list of fees, including: 
• Application & move-in fees
  (examples: processing utility connection, administrative)
• Mandatory recurring month fees
  (examples: trash, amenities, pest control, renter insurance)
• Optional service fees
  (examples: pet fees, parking)
• The rule will not apply to fees related to damage, lease violations, or other tenant-caused issues during the lease term.

Main requirements outlined in the ordinance: 

• Landlords must provide a written disclosure form directly to a prospective tenant when providing a lease quote, or before they book an appointment to tour the property, submit an application, or make any payment related to an application.

• The disclosure form must identify the mandatory and optional fees and charges for the dwelling or MH/RV space. 

• A landlord may create their own disclosure form that accurately discloses mandatory and optional fees and charges, or they may use the City of Austin Standard Disclosure Form to satisfy the requirements of this ordinance.

• Landlords must include the total monthly price of base rent and any mandatory recurring fixed fees in any advertisement or listing that includes the rental price.

• Enforcement of the ordinance will be complaint-based. If the City of Austin confirms a valid complaint regarding failure to disclose fees, they will file a case in Municipal Court with a fine of $500 or less. 

• These fines will go to the General Fund for the City of Austin, as do all other Municipal Court fines. 

Issues that we know of but are unable to address currently: 

Stakeholder engagement identified a few issues that Austin’s rental fee disclosure ordinance will be unable to address at this time, such as:  

• Mid-lease fee changes, especially those without notice  

• Fees scattered or buried throughout the lease document 

Additional improvements to address such concerns may be possible after evaluating the performance of the forthcoming ordinance. Potential future approaches to improve transparency could include a notice period before any mid-lease fee changes, and to require that all fees be included on the first page of the lease (following the standard Texas Apartment Association lease template).