# Austin > Ordinance No. 20260528-045 requires 50+ unit owners to itemize fees and advertise rent plus required fees. How it lines up with our true monthly. URL: https://newapartmentsaustin.com/blog/austin-fee-ordinance-in-effect-october-2026/ Last-Modified: 2026-10-25 Category: News & Updates Tags: required-fees, new-construction-apartments, austin-ordinance Since Oct 1, 2026, owners of Austin apartment properties with 50 or more units must itemize their fees and advertise rent plus required fees, under Ordinance No. 20260528-045. Everyone else follows on Jan 1, 2027. If you’re comparing new apartments in Austin [/ →](/) inside city limits, you should start seeing a rent-plus-fees number on listings, and that number matters: at 12 market-rate buildings on our board, required fees ran $78-$228 a month, median $120.50 (Oct 25, 2026). ## What the ordinance requires ![Timeline: Oct 1, 2026 for 50+ unit owners; Jan 1, 2027 for everyone else](/images/content/timeline-graphic-oct-1-2026-for-50-plus-unit-owner.webp) | Who | From | What changes | | --- | --- | --- | | Owners of 50+ units | Oct 1, 2026 | Itemize fees; advertise rent plus required fees | | Everyone else | Jan 1, 2027 | Same requirements | The practical effect for renters is simple: the advertised price inside city limits should include the fees every resident must pay, such as technology packages, valet trash, pest control, and package lockers. ## What it doesn’t cover The ordinance helps, but a rent-plus-required-fees number isn’t the whole monthly cost. Keep these in mind: - **Buildings outside Austin city limits** aren’t covered. Many new buildings in Williamson, Hays, Bastrop, and Caldwell counties, and some in unincorporated Travis County, sit outside the city. - **Usage-based utilities** such as electric, and property-billed water calculated by usage, may not be in the advertised number. - **Optional charges** you’ll still pay if you use them: reserved parking, storage, and pet rent. - **The special.** The advertised number may show base rent plus fees, not net effective. > **What it means for you** > > The ordinance moves listings closer to what you’ll pay. True monthly goes one step further by adding electric, water, parking, and the effect of the special. ## How it lines up with our true monthly Our true monthly already shows rent plus required fees, and adds the rest: **True monthly = net effective + required fees + electric estimate + water charge + parking** | Line | Ordinance listing | Our true monthly | | --- | --- | --- | | Rent | Base (often) | Net effective after the special | | Required fees | Included | Included | | Electric | Not usually | Estimate for unit and provider | | Water billed by property | Depends on method | Included | | Parking | Not if optional | Included if you need it | ![Phone showing an apartment listing with rent plus required fees itemized](/images/content/phone-showing-an-apartment-listing-with-rent-plus-.webp) ## Water billed by the property Many new buildings bill water, sewer, and trash themselves. Separate from the ordinance, state rules already apply: under PUCT rules (16 TAC Ch. 24), the property must disclose the allocation method and past bills, and the service charge on submetered water is capped at 9%. Ask for a recent average for a unit your size. ## What we’re doing differently Nothing changes in our method, because the board already priced fees in. What we are doing: - Checking that each building’s advertised rent-plus-fees number matches its written fee addendum - Flagging any building where they don’t match, and logging corrections within one business day - Keeping the date on every fee figure, since fee schedules can change Fee disclosure is 10 of the 100 points in the Austin New Build Score, so a building that matches its listing to its addendum scores better on that part. ## Read the fee addendum anyway Even with the ordinance, the fee addendum in your lease is what you’ll pay. Check which fees are required, whether any are per person, how water is billed, and whether fees can change during the lease. Our required monthly fees [/guides/required-monthly-fees-new-apartments/ →](/guides/required-monthly-fees-new-apartments/) guide lists the common fees, and lease addenda red flags [/guides/lease-addenda-red-flags/ →](/guides/lease-addenda-red-flags/) covers the other pages to read before you sign. **Want true monthly on every building you’re weighing?** Open the New Build Board [/new-construction-apartments/ →](/new-construction-apartments/) ![New Austin Apartment Team](/images/misc/navy-square-logo-tile-with-a-white-letter-a-for-ne.webp) New Austin Apartment Team Licensed apartment locating team, Spirit Real Estate Group, LLC A licensed Texas brokerage team that prices every new Austin apartment the way you'll actually pay. Spirit Real Estate Group, LLC, TREC #562021 About the team → [/about/#new-austin-apartment-team →](/about/#new-austin-apartment-team) Related board view New Build Board Every in-scope community on one map, with base rent, the special, net effective, true monthly, and year two pulled every morning. Open New Build Board [/new-construction-apartments/ →](/new-construction-apartments/) Guides ## Guides that go deeper ![Itemized apartment fee sheet beside keys on an oak counter in a new kitchen](/images/featured/printed-itemized-apartment-fee-sheet-beside-keys-o.webp) Decision guide ### Required Monthly Fees at New Apartments: What They Cover and Cost At 12 board buildings, required fees ran $78-$228 a month (median $120.50, Oct 25, 2026). What they cover, property-billed water rules, and Austin's fee ordinance. Read the guide → [Required Monthly Fees at New Apartments: What They Cover and Cost →](/guides/required-monthly-fees-new-apartments/) ![Lease addenda pages spread on a sunlit oak table with a highlighted clause](/images/featured/lease-addenda-pages-spread-on-a-sunlit-oak-table-w.webp) Explainer ### Lease Addenda Red Flags in a New-Build Lease Concession repayment, RUBS, fees, renewal, early exit, military waiver, late fees, and the Texas flood notice: the eight addenda to read before you sign. Read the guide → [Lease Addenda Red Flags in a New-Build Lease →](/guides/lease-addenda-red-flags/) More news ## Other updates ![New Austin apartment balcony in low winter golden light](/images/featured/new-austin-apartment-balcony-in-low-winter-golden-.webp) Seasonal · Oct 23, 2026 ### Leasing a New Austin Apartment This Winter: November 2026 to February 2027 Winter is the slow leasing season. What 10.8 weeks free (board median, Oct 25, 2026) means for lease-end timing, year two, and pre-leasing into spring. Read the update → [Leasing a New Austin Apartment This Winter: November 2026 to February 2027 →](/blog/austin-winter-leasing-season-2026-27-specials/) The 60-second form ## Tell us what you need. We make the calls. You don't have time to call 20 leasing offices. We do, and confirm the unit, the special, and the written fee sheet the same day during hours. 1. 1 Same day We call or text during hours with a shortlist plan. 2. 2 In writing Unit, special, end date, and fee sheet confirmed before you tour. 3. 3 Year two shown Every pick shows year two at 0% and +3%, plus a 24-month total. Prefer to talk? Call or text 512-000-000 [tel:+1512000000 →](tel:+1512000000) , Mon-Fri 8 AM-8 PM · Sat 9 AM-6 PM · Sun 12-5 PM. Free, same day during hours ## Get my shortlist Step 1 of 3 ### Thanks, we have your details. We'll call or text the same day during hours with your shortlist plan. ![](/images/misc/dusk-view-of-new-limestone-and-glass-apartment-tow.webp) Free to you, and your rent is the same either way ## You don't have time to call 20 leasing offices. We do. Send us your move date and all-in budget. We confirm the unit, the special, and the written fee sheet the same day during hours, then show you year two before you tour. Get my shortlist → [/contact/ →](/contact/) See the New Build Board [/new-construction-apartments/ →](/new-construction-apartments/) Call or text 512-000-000 [tel:+1512000000 →](tel:+1512000000) We don't guarantee pricing or approval. The community sets both, and we confirm them before you sign.