Massachusetts Renters - Tenant-Paid Broker Fee Experiences

Boston Globe: Recent experiences with broker fees? Hi everyone! I’m Andrew Brinker, a reporter at the Boston Globe writing about housing and the cost of living in Massachusetts. Have you paid a broker fee for an apartment rental here recently? Or reached out about a listing only to find out the place has a mandatory, tenant-paid broker fee? I’d be interested in chatting with you for a story I’m working on. Last year, the Legislature passed what at the time was described as a ban on tenant-paid broker fees. But in practice, broker fees still seem to be relatively widespread, even for tenants who do not directly hire a leasing agent. I have come across dozens of rental listings that include broker fees, and even encountered brokers charging fees during my own apartment search recently. If you’re up to chat about your recent experience with broker fees, please respond or feel free to send me an email! I’m at [email redacted]. Thanks!