New Roommate and Broker's Fee Question (apartment, lease, credit check)
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So I am moving out of my current apartment (new job in a new city). My roommate and I are currently on a month to month agreement with our landlord after our initial 1 year lease ended (about a year ago). One of her friends wants to move in. We got the go-ahead from our landlord, but she wants both of them to sign a new 1 year lease and to go through the broker (for background / credit check for the new roommate). We were finally able to get in touch with the broker and she is trying to charge the girl moving in a broker's fee. We originally paid 12.5% of 1 years rent when we moved in. She's trying to charge 6.25% of one years rent (half the original broker's fee). The apt is in Park Slope.
I completely understand paying some sort of administrative fee for them to do the background / credit check, but having the new roommate pay a broker's fee seems obscene.
So I am moving out of my current apartment (new job in a new city). My roommate and I are currently on a month to month agreement with our landlord after our initial 1 year lease ended (about a year ago). One of her friends wants to move in. We got the go-ahead from our landlord, but she wants both of them to sign a new 1 year lease and to go through the broker (for background / credit check for the new roommate). We were finally able to get in touch with the broker and she is trying to charge the girl moving in a broker's fee. We originally paid 12.5% of 1 years rent when we moved in. She's trying to charge 6.25% of one years rent (half the original broker's fee). The apt is in Park Slope.
I completely understand paying some sort of administrative fee for them to do the background / credit check, but having the new roommate pay a broker's fee seems obscene.
Is this legal?
Thanks a bunch for the help!
The question is not is it legal but rather is it required by the landlord and if so then it is the landlord's call. Despite what you may think none of you are entitled to a place to say. I would say the new person has to deal directly with the landlord and make the best deal possible but if that is what the landlord wants that is what the landlord gets. Perhaps you have not figured it out yet but lots of things in life are "obscene" and you have to learn to deal with it. But you will learn when you get older.
Perhaps you can speak with the landlord and suggest that you want to pay for her to do the background/credit check/tenant screening herself instead of the broker.
Perhaps you can speak with the landlord and suggest that you want to pay for her to do the background/credit check/tenant screening herself instead of the broker.
my guess is that landlord is in on the cut. how was the broker recommended
Some landlords/management companies only want things done via a broker so this might be the case. If the landlord is telling you to go through the broker and broker has told you what to do, then thats the process.
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