By Harry Kane

Renters are eagerly awaiting news from the Massachusetts State House following a decision by the Somerville City Council after a home rule petition was passed to eliminate renter-paid broker fees.

The city has submitted a home rule petition to the Massachusetts State Legislature for consideration. If approved by both the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate, the Governor will sign the bill into law.

“We now have a beautifully crafted home rule petition that went under a lot of scrutiny and discussion,” said Ward 2 City Councilor J.T. Scott during the February 27 City Council meeting.

The home rule petition is a method for municipalities to request special legislation or exemptions to solve local issues. This is part of a regional collaboration between Somerville, Cambridge and Boston.

“Our Office of Housing Stability drafted this home rule petition because the cost to move into a new apartment at median rent, including a realtor’s fee, can reach approximately $14,000, a number that’s out of reach for many,” said Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne.

The new legislation would require that broker fees in the City of Somerville be paid by the party who solicits a licensed broker, according to the petition.

“With 65 percent of Somerville residents renting their homes, we must continue exploring every option to help stabilize housing costs and reduce barriers to securing housing,” said Mayor Ballantyne. “I applaud the City Council for advancing this petition. Ensuring an equitable and affordable rental market is critical to keeping Somerville a place where people of all incomes can live and thrive.”

Renters are usually required to pay a broker fee, which may be the equivalent of a month’s rent, plus first and last month’s rent and security deposit, according to the petition.

“This is an incredible barrier to entry for residents and an incredible barrier to retention,” said Councilor Burnley, Jr. at the February 27 City Council meeting.

The median rent for all bedroom counts and property types in Somerville as of March 2025 is $3,200, which is roughly 60 percent higher than the national average, according to zumper.com.

That website also says that the average rent for a 1-bedroom in Somerville is roughly $2,650 and a 2-bedroom is roughly $3,300.

Cost-burdened renters are spending 30 percent of their income on rent, according to The Boston Foundation’s 2024 Greater Boston Housing Report Card.

Councilor Burnley Jr. wrote on Instagram that he and other City Councilors joined forces with Cambridge and Boston in “taking a stand against the exploitative practice of forcing renters to pay for brokers that they did not hire.”

The affordable housing crisis is a hot-button issue in the city, and it has become increasingly urgent for low-income families and occupants citywide to save what they can.

“It would just be an incredible relief to a lot of people in our community if we could just make it a little bit easier to rent and live in our community,” said Councilor Burnley, Jr.

The collective effort made by Somerville, Cambridge and Boston to end forced broker fees “may be able to speed up the process” in regard to statewide legislation, added Councilor Burnley, Jr. in a telephone interview.

According to a press release from Governor Maura Healey’s Administration on January 13, the Commonwealth plans on proposing an end to renter-paid broker fees in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget.

“Broker fees are an unfair cost for renters, and they should not be on the hook to pay for someone they didn’t hire,” said Governor Maura Healey.

Last session, the Massachusetts Senate included language in the housing bond bill that would end forced broker fees, but the proposal was not included in the House’s version.