As rents continue to rise in the Valley, so have fees renters have to pay.
And more of those fees are costs that are always included in a rent payment.
The San Paulo Apartments in Ahwatukee advertise "remarkable amenities" on their website.
Monika calls them basic.
But when she signed a new lease, those amenities became a new extra charge.
"Now suddenly, we have to pay for that," she says.
Not only does she say her rent went up $250 a month, Monika now also pays a monthly $9.95 "amenities" fee.
At the ORA Apartments in Peoria, Cindy also has to pay an amenities charge.
Her fee is $25 a month, $300 extra yearly on top of her rent for what had always been included in it.
"Can I go back to them and say, hey I'm not going to use all of these things so take them off," Cindy asks.
The fee is mandatory.
It's one of a growing number of fees many renters say they never asked for and don't want, like a trash valet service.
At Scottsdale's San Travesia Apartments, a renter let me know they pay $40 to get trash picked up at the door, whether they use it or not.
At other places, it's common to pay a mandatory monthly $25 for a package delivery service.
That's even though renters say they get free delivery from most places.
But that "amenities" fee is different, and there are more like it. They are costs that have historically been part of the rent.
Owners seem to be passing on more of their business costs to renters, like another fee for "common area electricity."
"Why, for what? I don't know," Cindy says.
She guesses she's paying $11.50 every month to light the complex, the pathways, the lobby.
At Ascent North in Scottsdale, Erica has to pay a $15 monthly insurance fee.
It's not for her.
She has a renter's policy already.
Is she paying insurance costs for the complex?
At 505 West Apartments in Tempe, one renter pays two insurance fees for more than $20 monthly, and neither covers her.
Not all apartment complexes got back to us. However, property management company, Mark Taylor, did respond about the mandatory $40 trash service fee.
A spokesperson responded with this statement:
"Our residents choose Mark-Taylor communities for our signature luxury living experience, complete with services and amenities. We regularly listen to our residents and applicants to identify ways to offer new or improved services. One of those luxury services is Valet Living's cleaning and home services, inclusive of trash and recycling at residents' doorsteps. It is a convenient living feature for residents, and it also keeps the community clean. We offer personalization whenever possible; however, select services and amenities are included within our rental agreements."
The Arizona Multihousing Association (AMA) says the fees "are legal and disclosed with full transparency."
They say the fees "reflect the cost of doing business" and "are not a profit center for property owners."
The AMA says owners have rising costs and most make just a "9 cent profit for every dollar of rent."
Renters say they have few alternatives other than to pay.
"Finding a place that doesn't have all of these fees, and meets your needs is really hard," Monika says.
We've only scratched the surface concerning extra rental fees.
More to come on this story.
Let me know of any fees you see.
You can email Joe Ducey at joe@abc15.com, if you're a renter needing assistance on October 18, we're taking Let Joe Know on the Road to the Tempe Marketplace.
From 5pm to 7pm, you can talk with attorneys and experts about most any consumer issue, from renter problems to car and contractor issues to family law.
It's free, in person, one-on-one help.
Bring your paperwork and I'll see you there
Here's the full AMA statement to abc15 Let Joe Know:
"Your questions about fees we'd like to handle with a single statement, which we hope you will consider for your story.
While we can't discuss any one property owner or managers' fee arrangements, we can say generally that the fees you mention are disclosed to residents at the time they agree to rent a home. The fees are not "hidden" and they're not tacked on to surprise residents. As with rent increases, the fees reflect the rising price of doing business amid a time of record inflation and soaring demand for rental units.
These fees are not a profit center for property owners - who typically earn about 9 cents' profit for every dollar of rent. Rather, the fees paid by residents are used to defray the cost of providing a quality living experience, including an increasing number of amenities that residents expect and want. Such fees, which have become standard in many instances, are legal and disclosed with full transparency.
We hope this helps your stories. Again, while we can't speak to anecdotal data we have not seen or stories related by "dozens of renters" or "most everyone" you've spoken to, we can talk knowledgeably about the practices of the rental housing industry generally and the thousands of members of the AMA across the state."
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