Massachusetts to Follow NYC in Making Landlords Pay Broker Fees

Massachusetts renters are poised to get some relief from onerous broker fees under a provision tucked into the 2026 spending package that Governor Maura Healey has pledged to sign.

Broker fees are typically equal to one month’s rent, which can swell upfront costs for a new apartment to as much as $10,000 after also accounting for security deposits and requirements to prepay the first and last month of the lease, according to the governor’s office. The Massachusetts law formally shifts responsibility for paying for brokers to the person who hired them — in most cases the landlord.

“The cost of ...