SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine – Rep. Chris Kessler (D-South Portland) announced today that he found numerous violations of Maine’s law banning rental application fees and other "junk" fees at Redbank Village in South Portland.
In 2023 and 2024, the Legislature passed two laws sponsored by Rep. Kessler, LD 691 and LD 1490, to protect Maine renters by limiting the fees that landlords can charge prospective tenants as part of a rental application and increasing transparency around hidden fees in lease agreements.
A year after the legislation went into effect, he personally applied for an apartment at Redbank Village and found that the complex continues to engage in practices prohibited by state law, including:
- Application Charges: Requiring $220 to submit an application
- Mandatory "Optional" Fees: Requiring all residents pay a gym fee and for membership key cards
- Lack of Transparency: Failing to provide a clear range of potential fees and refusing to provide copies of lease agreements via email for review
- Withholding Refunds: Implementing a process that makes it intentionally difficult for applicants to reclaim their money if they choose not to sign a lease
“I sponsored these laws to ensure that Maine renters don’t get taken advantage of,” said Rep. Kessler. “Housing costs are already out of control, and Mainers don’t need to be punished with additional fees simply because they are looking for a place to live. To see an out-of-state company like JRK Property Holdings not following the law is simply unacceptable. True to the company's name, they are truly ‘JRKs’.”
Under current Maine law, landlords are prohibited from charging application fees except to cover the cost associated with conducting a one-time background check, credit check or other screening. Landlords can impose “optional” recurring fees – like gym memberships – only if they provide the tenant with written notice, prior to the implementation of the fee, that the tenant may opt in to using the services and stop paying the fee at any time without penalty.
Rep. Kessler is urging any current or prospective tenants who have been charged application fees or mandatory amenity fees at Redbank Village, or any other property within the last year, to take action by reaching out to the Maine Office of the Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division online or by calling 207-626-8849.
Kessler is serving his fourth term in the Maine House and represents District 121, which includes part of South Portland and part of Cape Elizabeth.
Contact:
Brian Lee (Kessler) | 305-965-2744