Massachusetts tenants will no longer pay broker's fees under Governor Maura Healey's new law. The law, part of the Fiscal Year 2026 budget proposal, shifts the responsibility for paying broker's fees to the landlord, who typically hires the broker. Healey emphasized that the high cost of housing in Massachusetts warranted the ban on these fees. Elected officials in Boston, Somerville, and Cambridge advocated for this change, as these fees could increase upfront rental costs significantly. Broker fees had previously only been present in Boston and New York among major cities.
"I proposed banning renter-paid broker's fees because the cost of housing is already way too high in Massachusetts without adding thousands of dollars in fees for a service you didn't hire."
"I’m grateful that the Legislature agreed that the person who hires the broker should be responsible for paying them."
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