The Committee on Legislative Matters voted to recommend approval of a home rule petition that would prevent landlords from passing broker fees onto tenants when the landlord or owner hires the broker. The committee approved the recommendation by roll call and will forward the petition to the full Somerville City Council for consideration.

Marina Zelaya, housing policy coordinator in the city's housing division, said the proposal would remove a practice common in the Greater Boston rental market and reduce upfront costs for renters. Zelaya told the committee that combined upfront costs for tenants (first month, last month, security deposit and broker fee) can amount to roughly four months' rent and that, in some cases, tenants face up to about $14,000 in upfront costs when moving. "Removing at least one of those fees…would make a more equitable playing field for tenants," Zelaya said.

Attorney Shapiro of the city law department said the law office had reviewed the draft language and had no legal concerns with the ordinance as drafted. "I have no legal concerns with the language as drafted," Shapiro told the committee.

Councilors debated scope and strategy. Members noted that Boston and other communities have pursued similar measures and that the governor proposed related language for the fiscal year 2026 budget. The committee and administration discussed whether to confine the petition to residential transactions or include commercial transactions as well; city staff said Somerville's draft focuses on residential leases and that including commercial transactions could make passage less likely. Several councilors expressed support for moving the residential-focused petition forward quickly and for coordinated advocacy at the state level if needed.

Councilor Shweisel spoke strongly in favor of the petition during discussion, calling broker fees “classist and oppressive” and saying the fees make renting in the region unaffordable for many residents.

Motion and vote: The committee moved to recommend the home rule petition for approval and recorded a roll-call vote in favor. The clerk recorded affirmative votes from Councilor Schrezzo (or Schrezzo as called), Councilor Mbah, Councilor Ewing Capen, Councilor Scott and Chair Lance Davis; the motion passed as recommended for approval. The city will place the petition on the full council agenda for final action and staff indicated they will support outreach and advocacy in coordination with other municipalities and state-level efforts.

Next steps: The petition will be presented to the full Somerville City Council at a future meeting for a final vote. The administration and council members discussed coordinating support with the governor's proposed FY26 budget language and similar petitions from other cities.