Renter safety guide

How to Get an Apartment Application Fee Waived

Short answer: application fees are often negotiable or waived, especially during move-in specials, in slower seasons, or when a unit has sat empty. It never hurts to ask, and some buildings waive the fee if you apply within a day of touring or mention a promotion. This guide covers how to ask, when fees are commonly waived, where to find help, and how to tell a normal fee from a send-money-to-hold-it scam.

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Updated October 13, 2026. Informational only. Not legal advice.

Just ask, and when it works

Ask the leasing agent directly whether the fee can be waived or reduced. It works most often on a unit that has been listed a while, in off-peak months, or when there is a look-and-lease special. Being a ready, qualified applicant gives you leverage.

  • Ask directly; the worst answer is no.
  • Best odds on long-listed units and in slow seasons.
  • Mention any current promotion or look-and-lease special.
  • Apply the same day you tour when a waiver is tied to that.

When fees are commonly waived

Buildings waive or credit the fee as a leasing incentive. Watch for move-in specials, promotional codes, locator or referral partners, and occasional waivers for students or military at some properties.

  • Move-in specials and promotional codes.
  • Locator or referral partners that cover the fee.
  • Fee rolled into a move-in credit.
  • Occasional student or military waivers at some buildings.

Fee help and keeping costs down

Some nonprofits and housing-assistance programs help with application costs, so it is worth asking. Applying to fewer, better-fit places also limits how much you spend in fees overall. Several states cap or regulate application fees, so check what is allowed where you live.

  • Ask about local housing-assistance or nonprofit help.
  • Apply to fewer, well-matched units to limit total fees.
  • Some states cap or ban application fees; check your state.
  • Keep a receipt showing what each fee paid for.

The fee that is actually a scam

A normal application fee is paid to a real screening company or a verified leasing office. Some staffed apartment communities do legitimately take an application and fee before a tour, which can be fine when you have independently verified the office and pay through its official portal. The scam version is a request to send a fee by app or gift card to an individual to hold a place sight unseen, with no verifiable office behind it.

  • Normal: paid to a screening company or a verified leasing office.
  • Scam: pay by app or gift card to hold it, sight unseen.
  • Scam: the fee goes to an individual, not a screening service.
  • Never send a deposit by app or gift card to an individual to hold a unit sight unseen.

Before you pay an application fee

You have seen the unit or verified it
You asked whether the fee can be waived or reduced
You know your state's rules on application fees
The fee goes to a company for screening, not to an individual to hold it
If a fee is required before a tour, the leasing office is verified and you use its official portal
You kept a receipt showing what the fee is for

Questions renters ask

Can you negotiate an apartment application fee?

Often yes. Fees are commonly waived or reduced during move-in specials, in slower seasons, or on units that have sat empty. Ask the leasing agent directly.

Is an application fee refundable?

Usually not, because it pays for the background and credit screening. A few states cap or regulate the amount or require a refund if the screening is not run, so check your state's rules.

Is it a scam to pay an application fee before seeing the apartment?

It is a major red flag, especially if you are asked to send it by app or gift card to an individual to hold the unit. A legitimate fee is paid to run screening after you have toured and applied.

How much is a normal application fee?

Commonly in the 25 to 75 dollar range per applicant, meant to cover screening costs, though some states cap it. See our guide on how much a landlord can charge for an application fee.