An Act requiring that broker fees in the city of Somerville be paid by the party who solicits a licensed broker

This bill requires that in Somerville, real estate broker fees be paid solely by the tenant or landlord who originally hired the broker, not the other party. It applies to licensed brokers working with tenants to find rental properties or with landlords to find tenants. The law changes the standard practice by mandating that the party who engaged the broker (either the tenant or landlord) covers the fee, eliminating the common practice of splitting fees or having the other side pay. The rule takes effect immediately upon the bill's passage.