New rental trend? A $200 ‘work-from-home fee’ tacked on to Bay Area lease

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. (KGO) — A Bay Area rental listing is turning heads online, not because of the home itself, but because of one unexpected line.

A newly built, furnished one-bedroom accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, in Walnut Creek is listed for $3,250 a month with utilities and Wi-Fi included. But the listing also states, “If working from home additional $200 monthly.”

The optional fee quickly caught the attention of renters, many of whom said they had never heard of anything like it.

“That’s crazy,” said Bay Area renter Samara Wondimu.

“Work-from-home fee? Nah, I’ve never heard of that,” said Christopher Williams, who works remotely in Chicago.

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Another renter, Cody Hall, called the idea “ridiculous.”

The listing advertises a 535-square-foot furnished cottage in Walnut Creek’s Northgate neighborhood. It includes utilities, internet, a private patio and parking. The additional charge appears to be aimed at tenants who regularly work from home.

“Rent is already so expensive!” Williams said.

He’s right. According to Zillow, the average rent across the Bay Area is about $3,650 a month, roughly 81% higher than the national average. For some renters, the possibility of paying another $200 each month only added to the sticker shock.

While unusual, housing experts say the fee is not necessarily out of bounds.

“It’s almost like a utility cost recovery or environmental conservation fee,” said Derek Barnes, CEO of the East Bay Rental Housing Association.

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Barnes said someone working from home throughout the day could use more electricity, water, internet and air conditioning than someone who leaves for an office. He also said ADU owners may have more flexibility than larger apartment buildings, depending on the location and which rent regulations apply.

Barnes does not expect work-from-home fees to become widespread, but said the listing could start a broader conversation about utility use and conservation.

“You’re not likely, you know, to be aware of your usage of these precious resources if you don’t see a bill,” Barnes said.

ABC7 Eyewitness News stopped by by the Walnut Creek property and called the person who posted the listing, but did not receive a response.

For now, renters say they hope the idea does not spread.

“If my landlord suggests that, I actually don’t work from home,” Hall joked.