D.C. Hidden Apartment Rental Fees Lawsuit: Conservice, Greystar, More

Attorneys working with ClassAction.org are looking into whether tenants in Washington, D.C. are being charged hidden apartment rental fees in addition to their rent.

Specifically, the attorneys are investigating whether landlords and property management companies are violating D.C. law by charging tenants mandatory fees that were not initially disclosed during the rental application process. Charges like service fees, utility-related charges (such as Conservice fees), administrative fees, pest control fees, renter’s insurance and other apartment rental fees could be illegal under Washington law if they are charged as a condition of renting an apartment and were not disclosed at the time the tenant filed their application.

Why Might Hidden Apartment Fees Be Illegal?

The attorneys working with ClassAction.org believe that any charges tenants pay as a condition of living in a rental apartment could be illegal if tenants are not told about them when they first apply for the apartment.

Under D.C. law, landlords are required to disclose the “applicable rent” for the apartment or rental unit when the prospective tenant files an application to lease the unit. According to the attorneys, rent may include not just a tenant’s fixed monthly rate, but any amount charged as a condition of living in the rental unit, such as fees tenants are required to pay. If these fees and charges are not initially disclosed when tenants are told the price of the rent, they may violate D.C. law.

In January 2024, the Washington, D.C. attorney general issued a consumer alert regarding renters’ rights and legal protections against excessive and hidden apartment rental fees, noting that district law protects renters from being hit with “junk fees” after they sign a lease. Per the alert, junk fees can include any fees that are unclear, not used for their stated purpose, not stated in the lease, or used to provide services that the landlord is required to provide in order to make the rental livable, such as pest fees and furnace maintenance fees.

Lawsuits Over Apartment Rental Fees

Several lawsuits have been filed accusing property management companies of violating D.C. law by charging hidden apartment rental fees that essentially raise tenants’ rent above the rate disclosed during the application process.

According to two lawsuits respectively filed against Bozzuto Management Company and Greystar, which manage several large apartment buildings in Washington, D.C., the companies divide the rent they charge tenants into two portions: a fixed monthly rate (which appears in advertising, applications and leases) and variable monthly rates for utilities and related fees—including billing and service fees associated with third-party billing company Conservice.

The lawsuits claim the Conservice fees are required as a condition of living in the building and therefore fall under the District of Columbia’s definition of rent, which includes “the entire amount of money … charged by a housing provider as a condition of occupancy or use of a rental unit, its related services, and its related facilities.” According to the suits, D.C. law requires that the entire amount of rent be disclosed “[a]t the time a prospective tenant files an application to lease any rental unit,” which Bozzuto and Greystar allegedly failed to do.

A similar lawsuit filed against Brookfield alleges that the property management company illegally requires tenants to pay service fees to utility billing company Metergy without disclosing the fees at the time tenants file their rental applications. Per the case, Brookfield’s practices subject tenants to “surprise and recurring junk fees.”

Conservice has also been hit with several lawsuits over its fees and billing methods. According to one Conservice class action lawsuit filed in July 2017, two Florida residents claimed the Conservice service fee they were charged each month for utility billing services was illegal since the company was already paid by the owner of the apartment building for its services. The plaintiffs argued that Conservice’s practice of “double-dipping” costs tenants nationwide tens of millions of dollars each year, and that they never agreed to pay a Conservice convenience fee or service fee.

Another Conservice class action lawsuit filed in 2022 claimed the company violated California law by failing to explain to renters upon request how their share of utilities was calculated. According to the Conservice utility lawsuit, the company has outright refused to show renters the calculations used to determine their bills despite California regulations requiring transparency with respect to billing practices.

Complaints About D.C. Hidden Apartment Fees, Utilities

D.C. residents have complained to Washington City Paper about being charged hidden fees when renting an apartment—specifically, about their landlord overcharging utilities. One resident said his utility bills tripled after his building’s property manager began charging for “common area” utility fees through Conservice, stating that if the fees had been properly disclosed ahead of time, he “could have made the choice to live somewhere else.”

Another resident of the same building reportedly told Washington City Paper that if she had known about the Conservice fees beforehand, she “would not have moved into the building.”

Washington City Paper examined the utility billing practices across 20 buildings managed by large property management companies, including Bozzuto Management, Brookfield Properties, Edgewood Property Management, Greystar, Kettler and LCOR, finding a “pervasive pattern of charging tenants hidden or misleading utility fees using opaque and sometimes unlawful billing methods by third-party utility billing companies.”

The article also referenced lawsuits filed against Bozzuto and Greystar over the companies’ allegedly illegal hidden apartment fees and excessive utility surcharges. Citing the Bozzuto and Greystar Management complaints, the article stated that tenants are “captive customers” for the companies’ “abusive practices.”

Washington City Paper also looked into complaints about Conservice and Studebaker Submetering, another third-party utility billing company, filed with the Office of the People’s Counsel (OPC), an agency that advocates for utilities consumers. The article cited cases in which the OPC noted “extremely high” utility bills, “what could be unfair and inflated water usage charges,” and seemingly “out of control” billing.

In a May 2025 consumer alert, the Washington, D.C. attorney general stated that his office has received complaints about landlords overcharging for utilities and noted that tenants have regularly expressed “confusion” about utility billing practices, especially when a rental property uses a ratio utility billing system (RUBS). The alert acknowledged that RUBS utility billing, which is not based on actual usage per tenant but instead subdivides a master bill among all tenants, can be confusing and result in utility bills that are “higher than expected.” However, the attorney general noted that under D.C. law, all fees (including utility fees and utility billing fees) must be disclosed and explained to tenants “in a timely, prominent, and accurate manner.”

How Could a Lawsuit Help?

If filed and successful, a D.C. apartment fees lawsuit could help renters recover money they may be owed for violations of Washington law. It could also force their landlord or property management company to change how fees are disclosed or billed.

What You Can Do

After you get in touch, an attorney or legal representative may reach out to you directly to ask you some questions about your experience and explain how you may be able to help get a class action lawsuit started. It doesn’t cost anything to fill out the form or speak with someone, and you’re not obligated to take legal action after finding out more about your options.

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