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Proposal aims to change who pays broker fees in Massachusetts

MASSACHUSETTS, JUL 2 – New law shifts broker fees to landlords, reducing upfront costs for renters who faced fees averaging $12,900 in the Boston metro area, officials said.

  • On May 20, 2025, over 100 people marched at Boston City Hall advocating for affordable housing and an end to renter-paid broker fees.
  • Earlier this week, lawmakers incorporated provisions into a $61 billion spending plan submitted to Governor Maura Healey that require broker fees to be paid by the party who hires the broker.
  • The change aims to eliminate upfront broker fees that often add thousands, sometimes over $10,000, to renters' move-in costs in Massachusetts' competitive housing market.
  • Governor Healey announced that renters will no longer have to pay broker fees of up to $10,000 before moving into a new apartment, with the new regulations set to begin on August 1.
  • The policy is expected to put money back into renters' pockets and reduce barriers to housing, though advocates note it may not fully address broader affordability challenges.
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That extra money they ask you for when they tell you “you have to pay the first month of rent” often doesn’t go to the owner, but it’s what they call broker’s fee—a commission for the person who helped you get the apartment. In most big cities in the United States, tenants aren’t forced to pay the commissions, and they’re instead paid by the landlords. This isn’t the case with Boston. But, all this could change on August 1st of this year. Legisl…

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WBUR broke the news in Boston, United States on Tuesday, July 1, 2025.
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