CALIFORNIA – The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced September 24, that Invitation Homes, the country’s largest landlord of single-family homes with 12,000 in California, has agreed to a $48 million proposed settlement to refund renters harmed by its actions.
The company is accused of an array of unlawful actions against consumers.
These actions include deceiving renters about lease costs, charging undisclosed junk fees, failing to inspect homes before residents moved in, and unfairly withholding tenants’ security deposits when they moved out.
Fee bundle added $720 to one-year lease
According to court documents, Invitation Homes charges people for mandatory junk fees that are not included in the advertised rental price and are not adequately disclosed before someone submits a rental application.
“For example, since at least 2018, Invitation Homes has added undisclosed fees to residents’ rent, first in the form of a “utility management fee,” and later a “Lease Easy bundle” fee, which includes the utility management fee, an “air filter delivery” fee, and a “smart home technology” (or “smart home”) fee,” said the court document.