Rental application & screening fee rules in New York City
New York City operates under the statewide application-fee cap in Real Property Law § 238-a, plus local fair-housing overlays.
How New York City regulates screening fees
New York City does not set its own dollar cap on rental application fees. Instead, the statewide rule in New York Real Property Law § 238-a applies: fees are allowed only for background and credit checks, capped at the actual cost or a low statutory amount, whichever is less, and waived when the applicant brings a recent report.
Local fair-housing and human-rights rules add obligations around how applicants are screened, but the fee limit itself comes from state law.
What that means in practice
- The statewide fee cap and waiver rules apply in full.
- Local fair-housing rules govern how screening is conducted.
Sources and further reading
- New York State law (RPL § 238-a)
- New York screening fee law — the state rules this local ordinance builds on.
What's the actual limit in New York City?
Fee limits change with inflation adjustments, local ordinances, and new legislation. Use our free calculator to look up the current limit for your rental's ZIP code.
Calculate your fee limitsThis page is provided for general information only and is not legal advice. Fee rules change — caps re-index to inflation, new legislation takes effect, and cities adopt their own ordinances — so always confirm against the official statutory text linked above before relying on it. The federal Fair Housing Act applies everywhere, regardless of state or local fee rules.