俺也認真了，查了一下你們州政府的網站，https://www.mass.gov/renting-in-massachusetts 你們州恐怕有美國對房東最嚴厲的法，連對租客charge申請費都是非法的，怎麽會允許你要application deposit，俺沒有在那個網站上看到，卻在另一個你州法律援助網站上看到了了這個：
Illegal Fees
When landlords rent apartments to new tenants, sometimes they try to get more money than just the rent. They may try to tack on extra fees such as "holding deposits," "rental fees," "pet fees," or "application fees." These extra charges are illegal. The problem is, if you refuse to pay these fees, a landlord may refuse to allow you to move in.
The only extra charge the law allows is for a rental agent or a real estate broker to charge a "finder's fee." A rental agent can charge a finder's fee only if she is a licensed real estate broker or salesperson. The broker must provide a written notice to prospective tenants with information about the fee and whether or not it is paid if a tenancy is not created. If the rental agent is also the landlord, the law may prohibit her from charging a finder's fee. To find out if a rental agent is a licensed real estate broker, see the Massachusetts Department of Safety license search tool.
https://www.masslegalhelp.org/housing/lt1-chapter-1-what-can-landlord-charge
還是那句話，請拿出你要application deposit 的依據。
