Schwank and Laughlin Reintroduce Rental Application Fee Cap Legislation

Harrisburg, PA - March 13, 2026 - Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks) and Sen. Dan Laughlin (R-Erie) have reintroduced legislation to place reasonable limits on rental application fees in Pennsylvania.

Rental application fees can range from $25 to $75, often higher than the administrative costs associated with processing an application. The bill would cap rental application fees at the cost incurred by a landlord to conduct a background check, or $50, whichever amount is less.

A similar proposal from last legislative session (SB 860) received support from Sens. Costa, Vogel, Tartaglione, Haywood, A. Williams, Kearney, Comitta, Street, Cappelletti, Collett, Muth and Kane. Philadelphia City Council implemented the same measure last year.

Schwank said the legislation is in response to constituents expressing frustration with exorbitant fees charged just to apply for an apartment.

"As we all know, affordable housing is becoming increasingly difficult to find, and prospective renters often need to cast a wide net," Schwank said. "Increasingly, landlords are setting steep fees just to apply for an apartment. It simply is not reasonable to ask an individual to shell out $50 or more per application, and landlords should not be collecting a profit off of the application alone."

Laughlin said the legislation strikes a balance between protecting renters and ensuring landlords can recover legitimate screening costs.

"No Pennsylvanian should have to pay more than what it actually costs to apply for a rental," Laughlin said. "This legislation ensures fairness in the housing market and protects renters from unnecessary fees, while still allowing landlords to cover legitimate administrative costs."

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