I'm genuinely surprised at how expensive the fees are for applying to an apartment. I sense the background checks are not that expensive to perform, nor are the credit score lookups. I can't help but think the complexes are just being greedy and using the application fees as 1) a filter to keep out lower income residents in a totally legal way, and 2) a means of collecting even more money.

Edit: I have only ever applied at apartment complexes owned by regional/national real estate management companies. I do not know what the experience is like for independent properties or small landlords. The fees I encountered were typically $100 to $250, non refundable.