New York, NY: Council Member Chi Ossé’s bill, Intro 360, or the Fairness in Apartment Rental Expenses (FARE) Act, passed with a supermajority of 42 votes in the New York City Council, today. The bill requires that in rental transactions, the hiring party, whether landlord or tenant, pays the broker fee. Under the old system, tenants were usually required to pay the fee to a broker hired by their landlord, creating unfair and often prohibitive upfront costs to moving into a new home. 

The FARE Act’s passage comes after a year and half of work, and its latest iteration includes necessary enforcement and clarification clauses, to ensure New Yorkers are protected from the first day of implementation. It will now be sent to Mayor Eric Adams to sign. 

“The system of forced broker fees is an affront to all New Yorkers,” said Council Member Chi Ossé. “Today, we end that system. The victims of the old paradigm are too many to count: Families unable to have another child, because they cannot afford to move into a larger home. Children aging out of their parents homes unable to find a place in their own communities. Victims unable to flee domestic violence. Workers unable to live near their jobs, or in their city at all. Anyone who is hoping to bring their talents and passion to our great city but can’t afford to get through the front door. Today the New York City Council proved it can put the interests of the people first and be an example of good governance. This is a win for our city and for healthy democracy.”

“The FARE Act is a critical step for ensuring fairness and transparency in New York’s housing market. For too long, tenants have been burdened with fees that were never meant to be their responsibility, especially when the landlord is the one that hired the broker,” said Council Member Shaun Abreu. “This bill levels the playing field, making sure that tenants are not unfairly charged for the landlord’s cost of doing business. By requiring clear disclosure of fees and holding violators accountable, we’re protecting renters and making housing more accessible for all New Yorkers. I’m proud to stand behind this important legislation and continue fighting for tenant rights in our city.” 

“Today, the City Council took a monumental step toward greater affordability and fairness for renters in New York City with the passage of the FARE Act,” said Council Majority Leader Amanda Farias. “This legislation, spearheaded by Council Member Ossé, prohibits landlords from passing broker fees onto prospective tenants, bringing much-needed economic relief to New Yorkers. For too long, tenants have shouldered excessive costs for services they did not request, adding to the burdens of moving expenses during a housing crisis. The FARE Act aligns our city with the rest of the nation, ensuring transparency and fairness by placing the responsibility of broker fees on the party who actually hires them. This is a victory for over 2 million renters in our city and a crucial step toward achieving a more just and affordable housing market. I applaud Council Member Ossé for his leadership and am proud to have co-sponsored this vital legislation that echoes our Democratic values and the Council’s commitment to fair housing for all New Yorkers.”

“Paying for a service you never asked for is exploitation. Too many renters are unjustly forced to pay for their landlords’ brokers, adding thousands of dollars to an already costly process. Passing the FARE Act will not only end this predatory behavior but keep money in working class people’s pockets. I’m proud to vote for the FARE Act not only as a Council Member, but also as a renter who knows what it feels like to scrape together every last dollar to pay for someone else’s profit. Today, we’re finally consigning broker fees to the dustbin of history – where it belongs.” Council Member Sandy Nurse D-37, Co-Chair of the New York City Council Progressive Caucus 

“The FARE Act is a significant piece of pro-tenant legislation that I am proud to co-sponsor,” said Council Member Keith Powers. “With a historically competitive housing market, the cost of rent is a major factor in New York City’s affordability crisis. Broker’s fees, which tenants are compelled to pay when renting new apartments, exacerbate this issue. It is illogical that renters should be required to pay the wages of brokers they didn’t hire, and that don’t work for them. I am thrilled that the FARE Act is crossing the finish line today.”

“The FARE Act is an important victory for tenants all over NYC,” said Council Member Alexa Avilés. “Over half of my neighbors are rent burdened, suffering under the weight of increased housing costs amidst inflation and stagnated wages. This number is worse for our Asian, Black, and Hispanic neighbors, with over 60% being rent burdened. It doesn’t make sense for tenants to be shouldering the cost of a broker their landlord hired. The FARE Act is a first step towards increasing housing affordability in our city, and I congratulate Council Member Ossé.”

“Today, we take an important step toward greater equity and access for New Yorkers by passing Council Member Chi Ossé’s Fare Act,” said Council Member Rita Joseph. “Eliminating broker fees will make renting more affordable and fair, especially for working families who already face high housing costs. For too long, these fees have placed an unfair burden on renters, often creating barriers to finding stable, affordable homes. This bill reflects our commitment to breaking down those barriers and ensuring that every New Yorker, regardless of their income, has a fair chance to secure housing without unnecessary financial obstacles. By removing broker fees, we’re building a city that’s more accessible and equitable for everyone.”

“As Co-Chair of the Progressive Caucus and a co-prime sponsor of Intro 360, I’m thrilled that the Council has overwhelmingly voted to pass the FARE Act, the Caucus’ top legislative priority,” said Council Member Shahana Hanif. “With rents skyrocketing seven times faster than wages, more than half of New Yorkers rent-burdened, and the vacancy rate at an all-time low since the 1960s, it’s becoming harder for New Yorkers to stay in the city they love. By ending forced and unjust broker fees, the FARE Act is a critical step toward housing affordability, tenant protection, and equity for the working people of our city.”

“The upfront cost of moving into a new home in New York City is too damn high,” said Council Member Tiffany Caban. “Today, renters won a long overdue victory against a predatory practice of the real estate industry in New York: being forced to pay for a broker they didn’t even hire. The FARE act will dramatically lower the upfront cost of moving into a new home in the greatest city in the world. This means it will be more affordable for New Yorkers to stay in their communities; for survivors of domestic violence to seek safety; and to prevent New Yorkers from becoming unhoused and unsheltered. The FARE Act is a win for justice and affordability in New York.” 

“Today, New York City takes a bold stand for fairness and financial justice in the housing market by passing the FARE Act”, said Council Member Christopher Marte. “This legislation represents a significant step forward for tenants, who for too long have been weighed down by the burden of broker fees they did not choose to incur. The FARE Act will help level the playing field and reduce the upfront costs of housing in our city, allowing more New Yorkers to secure stable homes without unnecessary financial strain. I commend Council Member Ossé for his leadership on this issue and am proud to be a co-sponsor for this critical advancement toward a more equitable New York.”

​​”The rising cost of living in our city has deterred talent, discouraged young adults looking to establish roots, and pushed out working-class families who once saw New York City as a place for growth and opportunity,”  said Council Member Carmen De La Rosa. “Before even receiving a key to a home, the baseline of maintaining stable employment, potential renters are slammed with fee after fee. This money could put food on the table, pay several months of rent, cover moving costs, or pay for childcare. We cannot continue to financially burden New Yorkers trying to make ends meet. I congratulate my colleague Council Member Ossé for identifying an everyday issue he faced and creating a solution for everyone on the same boat,”

“The rising cost of rent in NYC has been exacerbated by broker fees that tenants are required to pay even when it’s the landlord who has retained the broker,” said New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO President Vincent Alvarez. “The resulting upfront costs of moving have made it even more difficult for working New Yorkers to find affordable housing within New York City. Thanks to Councilmember Osse and his colleagues in the City Council, with the passage of the FARE Act we’re one step closer to ensuring that everyday working families are able to live and thrive in New York.”

“For too long, New York’s housing policies have systematically disadvantaged renters, leaving them to face sky high rents and unnecessary fees,” said Annemarie Gray, Executive Director of Open New York. “That changes with the FARE Act, which will protect New York renters from thousands of dollars in broker fees they never asked for. For those struggling the most, these fees represent one more barrier to finding a home, and eliminating them is a major step toward making housing more accessible for everyone.”

“The passage of the FARE Act is a historic victory for tenants across New York City and a powerful testament to the strength of organizing. For too long, renters have been forced to shoulder unfair broker fees, but today we’ve shown that when tenants unite and fight for justice, we win,” said Rob Solano, Executive Director, Churches United for Fair Housing. “We are deeply grateful to the City Council, Speaker Adrienne Adams, and especially Council Member Chi Ossé for their leadership and commitment to housing justice. This is a major step toward a fairer housing system for all New Yorkers.”

“Anyone who has paid 15% of their annual rent in brokers fees for someone to let you in an apartment for 10 minutes knows the practice is nothing more than legalized theft. New Yorkers have been getting ripped off for decades and decades. Now it’s finally coming to an end thanks to Chi Osse and his colleagues in the City Council. From the perspective of a tech investor and business owner in New York City, the more we can do to make it cheaper and easier for talented young people to come here and stay here, the better off we’ll be,” said Bradley Tusk, political strategist, venture capitalist, and Founder of Tusk Philanthropies.

###