I rent an apartment from the owner in a condominium. The broker used by the owner in connection with the initial rental serves as property manager for the apartment. The initial lease is set to expire and we are set to enter into a new lease. I have conducted discussions in connection with the new lease through the property manager, though in sum that has consisted of approximately 6 total emails of a few sentences each. The property manager is now asking that we pay her a fee for re-renting the apartment (a not insubstantial fee). This strikes me as absurd and atypical, but I wanted to get a consensus opinion before I flipped out.

Thoughts?

let me get this straight, she wants to charge you a broker commission for an apartment you already live in? Did you pay a broker fee when you moved in originally?

Yes and yes. Hence my inclination to flip out. But I wanted to make sure I was 100% in the right before I did.

I think a simple No would do.

have the owner pay

Never pay a broker fee to renew your lease.

she is smoking....I would tell her to beat it or you will call the Department of State and the BBB on her company. That will get her running like the roach she is.... Broker fees are a one time fee, and since you already paid a broker, there is no "Broker" fee due to renew your lease. Perhaps she is trying to shape it as a management fee, maybe your building instituted a annual management fee? which i never heard of. Sounds like someone is trying to pull a fast one...

Why don't you send that broker a bill for your fee for re-signing the lease. Make your fee double the broker fee, but grant her credit for her fee and ask that she only pay the difference. Then post her name and e-mail on this board so all the Streateasy commenters can send her their bills for providing advice about her bill. This would be about as legitimate as her original bill.

just email the owner with your offer and cut the agent out.

Report her to REBNY. Her demand is a load of crap and most certainly not kosher.

Ask her where in the lease it points to a fee if you renew? .....absurd.

absolutely not

Thanks to all for your responses.

Unless you had an agreement that you would pay for renewals, it would not be fair. Most of clients who renew don't pay me anything. I actually assist some of them with co-op process of renewing at no fee. Speak to your broker and let them know that there was no agreement for renewal fees. Some brokers are upfront about renewal fees and they
will charge a small fee. It will be clearly stated when they first find you a place.

I never heard of any broker charging a broker's fee for a renewal. Unless you agreed to it in writing --- do NOT pay.

No way!

so shady. I would contact the owner directly!