Free renter tool
Broker Fee Calculator
Broker fees are usually quoted as a percentage of the annual rent, which hides how large they are. Enter the rent and the fee to see the dollar amount you'd hand over, and what it works out to per month.
A broker fee is one line in the real cost of an apartment. Add utilities, commuting and the rest to see what the place actually takes from your monthly pay.
How broker fees are quoted
Most rental broker fees are either one month's rent or a percentage of the annual rent — commonly 10%, 12% or 15%. A percentage of annual rent is the one that surprises people: 15% of a year at $2,750 a month is $4,950, well above a single month's rent. One month's rent is the same as 8.33% of the annual rent, which is why it appears here as a preset rather than a separate kind of maths.
Upfront versus monthly
The fee is paid once, at signing, alongside the first month's rent and any security deposit. Spreading it across twelve months doesn't change what you need in cash on day one — it just shows what the fee adds to the effective cost of each month you live there. Breather uses that monthly equivalent when working out your true monthly cost, and keeps the full amount in the move-in cash figure.
No-fee listings
"No fee" usually means the landlord is paying the broker instead of you. It's worth checking whether the rent has been raised to cover it, or whether the listing offers a free month that only applies in the first year.
More free renter tools
- Rent Affordability Calculator — See what share of your take-home pay a rent would use, and what's left.
- Move-In Cost Calculator — Add up the cash you need on day one — deposit, fees and first month.
- Full Breather apartment check — rent, fees, utilities and commuting in one true monthly cost.
Breather gives estimates for informational purposes only — it isn't financial advice. Breathing room is personal, and these thresholds are general guidelines.