Austin City Council Passes Rental Fee Transparency Ordinance - Impacting ATX MHC Owners
DJ Pendleton
May 28, 2026 – Landlords operating five or more rental units or manufactured home lots within the City of Austin, including those who lease lots for manufactured housing, will soon be required to disclose the total fees charged to residents.
Under the ordinance, landlords or their agents must provide prospective tenants with a written disclosure of all applicable fees either when discussing rental rates or before the prospective tenant submits an application, whichever occurs first. The disclosure may be provided electronically and must include an itemized list of all fees that will or could be charged, including mandatory fees, optional fees, and estimates of variable fees.
In addition, any advertisement that states the rental rate must also disclose all recurring fixed mandatory fees.
Violations of the ordinance constitute a criminal misdemeanor. The City is expected to publish a model disclosure form that landlords may choose to use or incorporate into their own disclosure documents.
The ordinance takes effect on October 1, 2026, for owners who rent more than 50 dwelling units, and on January 1, 2027, for owners who rent 50 or fewer dwelling units or manufactured home lot spaces.