The Federal Trade Commission has sued Greystar, a global real estate company with rental properties in Atlanta and Georgia, claiming it advertises base rents to consumers without disclosing hidden fees.
According to the civil complaint filed in federal court in Denver, Colorado on Thursday, since at least 2019, the corporate landlord tacked on fees adding hundreds of extra dollars each month to rent, including charges that should be part of basic property management, such as pest control and costs for processing utility bills.
The so-called “junk fees” allow the corporate landlord to advertise deceptively low rents, according to the FTC lawsuit filed with Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser. Other hidden costs included trash and verification fees and charges for media and smart home packages…