New York is one of two cities that requires renters to pay for these services; the other is Boston. Typically, such broker fees range from 10% to 15% of a tenant’s annual rent; in a city where the average monthly rent is currently $3,898 per month, renters often must pay several thousand dollars just to move.

The City Council approved a bill on Wednesday that would curb a loathed New York City real estate practice: making renters pay thousands of dollars in broker fees.