Are broker fees for a rental apartment negotiable?

Yes.  By law, broker fees in New York are negotiable.  However, there are two sides to a negotiation and both parties must be satisfied with the agreed upon amount or there is no deal.  Good advice would suggest agreeing to a broker fee prior to working with an agent so that there are no surprises when the fee is ready to be paid.

Although fees are negotiable, some agents only work with clients willing to pay a certain percentage of the first year’s rent (e.g. 15%), while others are required to charge a maximum fee by their firms.  At a minimum, the lowest fee most agents are generally willing to work for is the equivalent of one month’s rent, but that may depend on specific factors. Quality, experienced agents may be worth the extra fee, but it is up to you to determine what amount you feel comfortable paying.

In certain circumstances, broker fees tend to be set at a specific amount and most agents will not entertain a reduction.  The most common situation is the co-broke transaction, where one agent represents the landlord (has an exclusive agreement) and the other agent represents the future tenant (the client).  In these cases, the broker fee is generally set at 15% of the first year’s rent (since each agent must split the fee down to 7.5% per firm, which is less than a one month fee).