Migliaccio & Rathod LLP is investigating whether The Hamilton Company has charged prospective Massachusetts tenants application fees that may not be permitted under Massachusetts law.
The Hamilton Company manages thousands of apartments throughout the Boston area. Current rental listings for certain Hamilton properties have identified an application fee of approximately $32 per applicant. Historical Hamilton application materials have also referenced application fees.
Massachusetts law generally limits the charges that landlords and property managers can require prospective tenants to pay before beginning a tenancy. Following changes that took effect in 2025, the Massachusetts Attorney General has specifically advised that landlords and property managers generally may not require prospective tenants to pay application fees, background-check fees, move-in fees, or similar charges.
Migliaccio & Rathod is investigating whether prospective tenants applying for Hamilton apartments were required to pay an application fee and whether affected renters may be entitled to recover those charges.
Renters May Have Experienced:
- Being charged an application fee when applying for an apartment offered by The Hamilton Company;
- Paying approximately $32 or another amount for each person listed on an application;
- Being required to pay a fee before Hamilton would process the rental application;
- Paying an application, screening, credit-check, or similar fee;
- Seeing an advertised rent that did not disclose all mandatory charges; or
- Providing personal information before learning about all required rental charges.
Potential Claims May Include:
- Improper application fees;
- Unlawful charges imposed before tenancy;
- Failure to adequately disclose mandatory rental charges;
- Unfair or deceptive trade practices;
- Violations of Massachusetts landlord-tenant laws; and
- Violations of Massachusetts consumer-protection laws.
Signs You May Be Affected:
- You applied for a Massachusetts apartment managed by The Hamilton Company;
- You were charged an application or processing fee;
- The fee was required before your application would be processed;
- More than one applicant in your household was charged a fee;
- You paid a fee in addition to the advertised rent and permitted deposits; or
- You have a receipt, application, email, bank statement, or other record of the charge.
If you have encountered these issues, we would like to hear from you. Please complete the contact form on this page, send us an email at [email protected], or give us a call.