No-fee apartments in NYC after the FARE Act
Since June 11, 2025, whoever hires a broker pays the broker. If a landlord hires a broker to rent out an apartment, the renter cannot be charged that broker’s fee. Here is what you can still be asked to pay, and how no-fee renting works on Nessoo.
Updated
What the FARE Act changed
A landlord, or the landlord’s agent, cannot charge a renter for a broker the landlord hired.
Before the Fairness in Apartment Rental Expenses Act, a renter often paid a fee of a month’s rent or more to a broker they never chose. Since June 11, 2025 that is not allowed in New York City, even when a broker insists the renter hire them to see or rent the apartment.
A renter can still choose to hire their own broker to search for them, and then pays that broker. The city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection enforces the law and explains it in detail: NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, FARE Act.
The most you can be asked to pay upfront
New York State law caps the rest. A security deposit can be at most one month’s rent (NY General Obligations Law §7-108). Application fees are not allowed, except a background or credit check fee of at most $20 (NY Real Property Law §238-a). So the most a landlord can ask for before you move in is:
| Monthly rent | First month | Security deposit (at most) | Background check (at most) | Total, at most |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $2,500 | $2,500 | $2,500 | $20 | $5,020 |
| $3,500 | $3,500 | $3,500 | $20 | $7,020 |
| $5,000 | $5,000 | $5,000 | $20 | $10,020 |
Every listing on Nessoo shows this maximum for its own rent.
How to find a no-fee apartment
Read the fees in the listing, and know what is allowed.
- Check what the listing says the renter pays. Anything beyond the first month, a deposit of at most one month and a check of at most $20 is a fee to question.
- If a broker the landlord hired asks you for a fee, you do not have to pay it. You can report it by calling 311.
- Know your budget before you look. Most landlords want a yearly income of 40 times the monthly rent; see what a rent needs.
No broker fee to renters
Renters pay no broker fee on Nessoo, and Nessoo is free for renters.
Apartments on Nessoo are listed by their landlords and brokers. You can search them yourself across the five boroughs, or tell Homey, Nessoo’s AI rental agent, what you want and let it find the homes that fit your budget.
Direct answers. The same answers are in this page’s structured data.
Are all apartments in NYC no-fee now?
Since the FARE Act took effect on June 11, 2025, a landlord or the landlord’s agent cannot make a renter pay for a broker the landlord hired. A renter who chooses to hire their own broker still pays that broker.
What is the FARE Act?
The Fairness in Apartment Rental Expenses Act is a New York City law, in effect since June 11, 2025. It stops landlords and their agents from charging renters for a broker the landlord hired, and it is enforced by the city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection.
What is the most I can be asked to pay to move into a NYC apartment?
The first month’s rent, a security deposit of at most one month’s rent, and a background or credit check fee of at most $20. For a $3,500 apartment that is at most $7,020.
Can a landlord in New York charge an application fee?
Only a background or credit check fee, of at most $20 or its actual cost, whichever is less. The landlord must give you a copy of the check and the receipt, and must waive the fee if you bring a check from the last 30 days.
Where do I report an illegal broker fee?
Call 311 or file a complaint with the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection at nyc.gov/consumers.
Do renters pay a broker fee on Nessoo?
No. Renters pay no broker fee on Nessoo, and Nessoo is free for renters.
Find a home without the fee.
Apartments across the five boroughs, no broker fee to renters.
See NYC apartments