Opinion: FARE Act Fines Are Rare, Columnist Says Brokers Deserve Credit

Key facts

Type of article

Opinion column, The Real Deal, 10/31/2026

Penalties issued

$60,000 over about a year and a half, per City Reporter

Recovered for tenants

$24,000, per City Reporter

Number of fines

55, through mid-October 2026, per City Reporter

Complaints leading to fines

1 of every 45, per The Real Deal column

Daily fine total

About $115 a day, per The Real Deal column

Rental units in NYC

2.3 million, per The Real Deal column

Proposed change

Consumer protection commissioner Sam Levine wants the state to bar brokers from representing both tenant and landlord

What it means

The highlights

1. The city issued 55 FARE Act fines totaling $60,000 in about a year and a half.
2. About $24,000 has been recovered for tenants, according to a City Reporter article.
3. Only 1 of every 45 FARE Act complaints and inquiries has led to a fine.

Why it matters Landlords

FARE Act enforcement is active, and a proposed ban on dual agency could change how brokers work for landlords and tenants.

What to do: Confirm that any broker you hire does not charge tenants a fee.

Not known yet

• How many total FARE Act complaints and inquiries the city has received
• Whether any state lawmaker has introduced a bill to bar brokers from representing both sides
• How the $24,000 was returned to tenants and how many tenants received it
• How many of the 55 fines involved brokers versus landlords or others

Background

The FARE Act is a New York City law on broker fees. In general, it says the party that hires a broker pays that broker. A landlord or a landlord's agent generally cannot pass the broker fee on to the tenant. Tenants who believe they were charged improperly can file complaints with the city's consumer protection agency, which investigates and can issue fines.