On 30 October 2026, Duskly checked the published rules of 25 US multiple listing services to see what they say about listing photos edited with AI or photo software. Four keep their rules behind a member login or would not load, so the counts below cover the 21 we could read and quote. Every finding links to the MLS's own page.
Key findings
- 18 of the 21 MLSs have rules on edited or virtually staged photos, and 10 name AI in the rule or the MLS's own guidance. Three rulebooks, MLS PIN, Columbus REALTORS and MIAMI MLS, have nothing specific about edited photos.
- 14 require a label on an edited photo, and they disagree on where it goes. Six want it on the photo itself, at least for some edits. San Diego MLS, Stellar MLS, Bright MLS and FMLS do not allow text on the photo. Canopy MLS says a caption alone is not enough.
- 9 require the unedited original in the listing for some or all edits, eight of them right next to the edited photo. MLS Now requires agents to keep it and hand it over on request.
- The same edit is banned in one MLS and allowed in another. 7 ban changing the house itself, even with a label. 7 allow it as long as it is labelled. Removing power lines is banned by 7 and shown as an allowed, labelled example by ARMLS.
- 7 publish a fine tied to these rules, from $10 a day at Metro MLS to $1,000 for a fourth offence at Stellar MLS. California's AB 723 itself names no fine.
Every MLS we could read
Each MLS name links to the page we quote. “Not stated” means the pages we read do not say; it does not mean the MLS has no rule somewhere else.
| MLS | Names AI | Label required | Original in the listing | Changing the house | Fine published |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CRMLS (Southern California) | Yes | Yes, photo text field | Yes, next to it | Banned, unless the home is changed to match by close | Warning, then $250 (guidance) |
| San Diego MLS | Yes | Yes, description, not on the photo | Yes, next to it | Allowed with a label | Up to $500 |
| Bay East (East Bay, California) | Yes | Yes, photo label | Yes, right after | Allowed with a label | None stated |
| SFAR MLS (San Francisco) | Yes | Best practice, caption | Best practice | Allowed with a label | None stated |
| ARMLS (Arizona) | Yes | Yes, watermark on the photo | Yes, next to it | Allowed with a label | $200 from December 2026 |
| Canopy MLS (Carolinas) | Yes | Yes, on the photo | Yes, next to it | Banned, except cosmetic changes such as paint | None stated |
| Stellar MLS (Florida) | No | Yes, description, checkbox and remarks | Not stated | Banned | $100, rising to $1,000 |
| SmartMLS (Connecticut) | No | Yes, watermark on the photo | For alterations, not for staging | Allowed with a label; power lines banned | None stated |
| MLS Now (Ohio) | Yes | Yes, on the photo and in the caption | Kept, given on request | Banned | None stated |
| MRED (Chicago) | No | Yes, listing field | Not stated | Power lines and views banned | None stated |
| REcolorado (Denver) | No | Not stated for staging | Not stated | Banned | None stated |
| NorthstarMLS (Minnesota) | Yes | Best practice | Best practice | General accuracy rule; best practice bars structural changes | None stated |
| Realcomp (Michigan) | No | Yes, caption | Not stated | Banned, except a short list of edits (2018 notice) | None stated |
| Unlock MLS (Austin) | No | Not stated | Yes, same view | General accuracy rule | None stated |
| Metro MLS (Wisconsin) | Yes | Yes, watermark and remarks | Yes, right before | Allowed with a label | $10, or $10 a day |
| Bright MLS (Mid-Atlantic) | Yes | Yes, private and public remarks; no added text on the photo | Not stated | Power lines and views banned | $250 |
| HAR MLS (Houston) | No | Yes, photo description; fixed watermark on the photo for changes to the property | For changes to the property, next to it | Allowed with a watermark | $250, then $500 (Rule 1.25) |
| FMLS (Atlanta) | No | Yes, public remarks; no text on the photo | Not stated | Banned, except realistic landscaping; power lines banned | None for this rule; general compliance fine |
| MLS PIN (Massachusetts) | No | Not stated | Not stated | General accuracy rule | None stated |
| Columbus REALTORS (Ohio) | No | Not stated | Not stated | Not addressed | None stated |
| MIAMI MLS (South Florida) | No | Not stated | Not stated | General accuracy rule | None stated |
Most rules now cover edited photos, and about half name AI
Ten of the 21 name AI or artificial intelligence in the rule or the MLS's own guidance. San Diego MLS is the plainest:
Images created or modified using artificial intelligence, including AI virtual staging, are considered digitally altered and must be disclosed and accompanied by the original image.
Source: SDMLS AB 723 FAQ, answer 8. MLS Now gives AI its own rule heading, “3.3 Virtual Staging, Digital Alteration, and AI-Generated Content” (MLS Now Rules, Section 3, effective 3 August 2026).
Three rulebooks have no rule on edited photos at all. MLS PIN's rules, amended through 15 January 2025, say an image must be “limited to objective information about either the physical attributes of the property itself or about its location” (Section 1.0(f), MLS PIN Rules and Regulations). MIAMI MLS asks for a photo “that accurately depicts listed property” (Rule 15.1.12, MIAMI MLS Rules, last updated 21 August 2025). The Columbus REALTORS MLS rules of June 2026 mention photos only for status changes and copyright.
Where the label goes depends on the MLS
Fourteen MLSs require a label. They ask for it in at least four different places: on the photo, in the photo's caption or description, in a listing field, or in the public remarks. A photo labelled the way one MLS asks can break another MLS's rule.
Canopy MLS rejects a caption on its own:
All AI-enhanced and virtually-staged photo(s), renderings, or virtual tours must include a clear, readily visible disclosure directly ON the image or within the virtual tour. NOTE: Disclosure provided ONLY in captions, agent remarks, or supplemental text is NOT acceptable.
San Diego MLS, Rule 7.4.3(a), forbids the label on the photo:
Include the label “Digitally Altered” on the digitally altered image. The listing broker is not permitted to watermark or embed the disclosure directly onto the photo itself.
Stellar MLS goes further for staged photos: “The use of people or persons and/or words on any property photograph submitted to the Service is strictly prohibited.” Bright MLS bars “any text or graphics that have been added or superimposed” and wants the disclosure in the remarks instead. FMLS, Rule 10.6(a)(1)(i), says: “No text may be superimposed on photos.” MIAMI MLS, which has no rule on edited photos, also turns away photos “containing watermarks, logos, text, or other brands”. Sources: Stellar MLS Article 04.04, Bright MLS Rules, Appendix C, FMLS Rules, Rule 10.6, MIAMI MLS Rules, Rule 15.1.12.
Stellar MLS wants the words in three places, the last of them fixed: “the first words of the public remarks must read “One or more photo(s) was virtually staged.”” Metro MLS also asks for a fixed phrase in the remarks, “Photos are Digitally Altered”, plus its own watermark on the photo. Sources: Canopy MLS support article, San Diego MLS Rules, July 2026, Stellar MLS Article 04.04, Metro MLS Procedures.
What each MLS asks for, label by label, is in our guide “Virtually staged” watermark or caption?
Nine want the original in the listing
Six require the unedited photo right next to every edited one, HAR MLS and SmartMLS require it next to photos that change the property, and Unlock MLS requires “a non-virtually staged image of the same view” without saying where (Unlock MLS Rules, Rule 2.15, September 2026). The six do not agree on the order. CRMLS accepts the original “immediately before or after”, Bay East wants it “immediately after” and Metro MLS wants it “immediately before” (CRMLS Rule 11.5.2, Bay East Rule 11.5.2, Metro MLS Procedures).
SmartMLS splits the two cases. A photo altered to change the property needs the “as is” photo first. A virtually staged photo does “not need to be accompanied by an original/"as is" photo” (SmartMLS, Virtually Staged Photos, updated 2 September 2026). MLS Now does not ask for the original next to the edit, but Rule 3.3.5 says “Participants must retain original, unaltered media and provide it to MLS Now upon request for verification.”
HAR MLS asks for “an unaltered image with the same view as the altered image as an adjacent image” when the property itself is altered, and a fixed watermark: “Image does not represent actual property as is” (HAR MLS Rules, Rule 1.25.1).
Changing the house: banned in seven, allowed with a label in seven
This is where the rules split most. Seven MLSs ban edits that change the property itself. CRMLS, Rule 11.5.2, allows one exception, when the home will be changed to match by closing:
Subscribers may not add to a listing record any image or photo that has been altered to add, remove, or modify any (i) real property elements including but not limited to flooring, walls, windows, structural elements, cabinetry, paint color, hardscape, landscape, façade, fixtures, or floor plans unless the listed property will be improved to match the altered photo at time of close as part of the listed price, or (ii) elements outside of, or visible from, the property, including, but not limited to, streetlights, utility poles, views through windows, and neighboring properties.
Stellar MLS puts it in one line: “No permanent fixtures of the interior or exterior of the property shall be attached, removed, altered or added to photos.” MLS Now, Rule 3.3.2, lists what is banned, from walls and countertops to “removing/obscuring material defects (e.g., cracks, water damage, mold, wiring, stains)”. Sources: CRMLS Rules and Policy Changes, effective 1 January 2026, Stellar MLS Article 04.04, MLS Now Rules, Section 3.
Seven allow the same kind of change as long as it is labelled. ARMLS, Rule 8.23(f):
Media must not be Digitally Altered to materially misrepresent the existing condition or existing structure of a property, unless disclosed as described in these Rules. This includes altering the surrounding elements, such as views or neighboring structures.
Source: ARMLS Rules and Regulations, last updated 28 May 2026. Bay East, San Diego MLS, SFAR MLS, Metro MLS, HAR MLS and SmartMLS also treat changes to the property as labelled alterations rather than banned ones. SmartMLS gives the example that “you can change the color of the walls or insert newer/more modern kitchen cabinets”, with the “as is” photo first (SmartMLS, Digitally Altered Photos).
Power lines are the clearest split. CRMLS, Canopy MLS, MRED, SmartMLS, MLS Now, Bright MLS and FMLS ban removing them. MRED's Rule 6.2.2.2 gives the example in so many words: “Removing power lines, water towers and/or nearby highways”. ARMLS's own help page shows a photo captioned “Digitally Altered Power Lines Removed” next to its original, as an example of an allowed, watermarked edit. Sources: MRED Rules and Regulations, Bright MLS Rules, Appendix C, FMLS Rules, Rule 20.1(e), ARMLS Digitally Altered Media.
Decluttering splits them too. Asked whether a decluttered room needs its watermark, ARMLS answers “Yes, an image is Digitally Altered when adding, removing or changing content.” Metro MLS answers that you do not have to mark it “because you are not changing the true and current condition of the physical house.” SFAR MLS lists “Declutter or removal of unattached items” among edits that need no disclosure. CRMLS reads it the other way: “Virtually clearing a room of furniture that will not be included at closing as part of the listed price is also considered digitally altered.” Its advice for unclear cases: “When in doubt, err on the side of caution.” Sources: ARMLS Digitally Altered Media, CRMLS guidance, Metro MLS photo requirements, SFAR, Digitally Altered Images (AB-723).
Which everyday edits count as altered under California's law is in our guide What counts as a digitally altered photo?
Seven publish a fine
| MLS | What it publishes |
|---|---|
| Metro MLS | “Digitally altered photos without the required watermark will be subject to a $10 sanction if removed, and digitally altered primary photos will incur a $10-per-day sanction until replaced.” |
| ARMLS | $200 per violation; “ARMLS will issue a $200 fine for any violation of this policy” once enforcement starts in December 2026 |
| CRMLS | “a warning at first and then, if not corrected in a timely manner, a $250 fine”, in its guidance FAQ rather than its rules or a fine schedule |
| San Diego MLS | Up to $500 under Rule 11.5 in its August 2024 fine schedule; its July 2026 rules tie Rule 11.5 to altered photos |
| Stellar MLS | Photos removed and a Level I automatic fine: $100, then $250, $500, and $1,000 with a hearing |
| Bright MLS | $250 for a public remarks violation, which covers the required virtual staging disclosure, issued without a warning |
| HAR MLS | “For failure to comply with Rule 1.25 there shall automatically be a charge of $250.00 for the first violation and $500.00 for each additional violation.” Rule 1.25 is the listing content rule that holds its photo rules, including the altered-photo watermark |
Sources: Metro MLS Procedures, ARMLS Digitally Altered Media, CRMLS guidance, SDMLS schedule of fines, Stellar MLS Article 04.04 and Article 11.04, Bright MLS Rules, Appendix I, HAR MLS Rules, Charges for non-compliance, item 8.
The other 14 publish no amount for these rules on the pages we read. FMLS lists its staged-photo rule, 20.1(e), among its specific penalties but sets no amount for it; its general fine for any compliance issue left unaddressed, Rule 20.1(b), starts at $50 and rises $50 each business day, up to $500 a day (FMLS Rules, Rule 20.1). Bay East, for example, says only that a failure “may result in an MLS compliance violation, subject to enforcement under the MLS Rules and Regulations.”
The $250 often called the AB 723 fine is CRMLS's, stated in its guidance for its Rule 11.5.2. It is not a fine in AB 723, which names no amount.
California's law, for comparison
Since 1 January 2026, California has required a real estate broker or salesperson who uses a digitally altered image in an ad to add “a statement disclosing that the image has been altered and a link to a publicly accessible internet website, URL, or QR code that includes, and clearly identifies, the original, unaltered image.” The definition names “photo editing software or artificial intelligence”. Source: Bus. & Prof. Code §10140.8(a)(1) and (b)(1).
The section sets no fine of its own. The bill's digest says the new requirements are ones “the violation of which is a crime”, and notes that “A willful violation of the Real Estate Law is a crime.” Source: AB 723 bill page. The full text, and what it means outside the MLS, is in our AB 723 guide.
Four of the 21 MLSs are in California, and their rules differ from each other even under the same law: CRMLS bans most changes to the house, while Bay East and San Diego MLS allow them with a label and the original, and SFAR MLS recommends both as best practice.
What we could not read
These four are excluded from every count above:
- Georgia MLS: gamls.com refused connections.
- NTREIS (Dallas-Fort Worth): its rules page blocked our requests.
- BeachesMLS (South Florida): its site now redirects to another association's site, where we found no MLS rules.
- NWMLS (Washington): its photo policy asks for a member login. Its public photography guide gives advice, not the policy.
If you can point us to a public copy of any of these, tell us and we will add it.
Method
- What we read: each MLS's own rules and regulations, or, where the rules were not public, the MLS's own help-centre or FAQ page stating what its rules require. Vendor blogs and summaries by other companies were not used as sources.
- When: every page was opened on 30 October 2026. The date each source was last updated, where it shows one, is in the data.
- What counts: “Label required” means the MLS says a label must be added. “Best practice” means the MLS recommends it in a document it calls best practice. “Banned” means the MLS bars changing the property itself, even with a label. “Allowed with a label” means its rule treats such a change as an altered photo that needs disclosure. “General accuracy rule” means only a general requirement that photos represent the property.
- Fines: only amounts the MLS ties to photo or altered-image rules, in its own rules, fine schedule or help pages: an amount listed against the photo rule itself or a rule that contains it. A general fine for any unresolved compliance issue is not counted. CRMLS's amount is stated only in its guidance FAQ.
- Which MLSs: the 25 started from the MLSs Duskly already tracks for its MLS photo requirements pages, plus two whose altered-photo rules we found while researching: SFAR MLS and Metro MLS.
- Limits: MLS rules change, often several times a year. Several of the pages we quote are guidance written by the MLS rather than the rule text itself; the data notes which. This is a reading of published rules, not legal advice.
Citing this study
Anyone may quote or cite these findings with a link to this page: https://duskly.ai/guides/mls-rules-ai-edited-listing-photos. Please credit Duskly. For the row-by-row data with every quote, rule number and source, or to report a rule that has changed, contact us.
About Duskly
Duskly edits listing photos and, with every paid edit, returns the unedited original, a public page that shows it, and disclosure wording for the MLS and for ads. It does not decide which of the rules above apply to your listing; your MLS does. The free MLS photo checker checks a photo against the upload limits of the MLSs we track.