In classic Gen Z fashion, Brooklyn Councilmember Chi Ossé leaned into TikTok and ChatGPT to champion his groundbreaking broker-fee legislation, the Fairness in Apartment Rental Expenses (FARE) Act. The bill, which shifts the responsibility of broker fees from tenants to landlords, sailed through the NYC City Council on Thursday with a veto-proof majority of 42-8.
Ossé even credited ChatGPT for the bill’s name—a move as Gen Z as it gets. His TikTok and Instagram videos breaking down the legislation made the dense world of broker fees digestible, relatable, and, in some cases, viral:
@chi4nyc I just introduced the Fairness in Apartment Rentals (FARE) Act. It mandates that when renting a new home, you don’t have to pay a broker fee unless you hire the broker. Follow along to stay involved — let’s get this passed! #nyc #newyork #politics #brooklyn #les #soho #rent #chiosse ♬ original sound – Council Member Chi Ossé
NYC’s Rental Shake-Up
New York City is one of the few cities where landlords can hire brokers and stick tenants with the bill. The FARE Act changes that. Set to go into effect in 180 days, the new bill states that whoever hires the broker will pay the broker.
As soon as the bill passed, Ossé took to social media to spread the news:
The vote comes at a time when broker fees are hitting NYC renters harder than ever. In 2023, New York renters spent an average of $10,454 in upfront costs—and the amount increased to nearly $13,000 in 2024, according to StreetEasy. These upfront costs include the first month’s rent, security deposit and broker fees, which range from one month’s rent to 15% of the annual rent.
Supporters and Critics of the FARE Act
Supporters of the bill, like StreetEasy General Manager Caroline Burton, applauded the move, stating, “This bill would remove an unnecessary barrier to living here and modernize the rental process to bring New York City in line with nearly every other city in the country.”
But not everyone’s celebrating. Critics, including the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), argue landlords will simply pass these costs onto tenants by inflating rent prices.
Mayor Eric Adams, who expressed skepticism ahead of the vote, questioned whether the bill could actually protect renters from landlords finding creative ways to recoup the broker fees. Republican Councilwoman Vickie Paladino didn’t mince words, calling the legislation “ridiculous.”
“Housing isn’t unaffordable in this city because of greed, it’s unaffordable largely because we’ve regulated it to death. And here we are doing more of what has clearly never worked,” Paladino said. “These fees are going to get built right into rents and the rents are going to increase, it’s that simple.”
