The change will make a big difference in Greater Boston, where the cost of renting an apartment could soar past $10,000.

"From now on, whoever hired the broker is on the hook for the fee, because it should be that simple," Healey announced.

Massachusetts renters are poised to get some relief from onerous broker fees under a provision tucked into the 2026 spending package that Governor Maura Healey has pledged to sign.