Hey all, new to renting in NYC and just got offered a one-bed in Fordham. The base rent is fine, but the lease rider adds a $42/month 'resident services fee' for the package room, lobby cleaning, and 'building operations.' We don't even have a gym or doorman. The broker says it's standard and can't be removed. I thought rent was rent, and fees like that were optional? Management said no when I asked. Is this actually normal here, or am I being played?

It's normal in the sense that management tries it all the time now, especially if the building has a package room or a key fob system. But whether it sticks depends. First thing: is the unit rent-stabilized? If it is, a separate monthly fee like that is usually a no-go. If it's market-rate, they can put it in the rider and you can take it or leave it. I'd ask them if it's charged per unit or per building, and if it counts as rent for late notices.

The package room part is what gets me! If they call it a resident services fee, they better actually be staffing that package room! In my building they tried a 'package concierge fee' and it was literally an unlocked room by the elevator with a camera that nobody monitored. I sent photos of the empty desk and asked what hours the 'concierge' was physically there. They couldn't answer. Have you checked whether the rider says the fee covers lost packages or gives you any actual rights? If not, it's just rent with extra steps!

Lol @ferryfanatic, my last place the 'package room' was a milk crate behind the super's door. Real stuff. Bronx_newbie, read the rider closely. If the $42 is labeled 'additional rent,' that's different from a standalone fee—it can count in a nonpayment case and might be harder to fight. If it's just a fee, you've got a little more room. Either way, I'd send one polite email asking what it covers and if they'll cut the base by $42. Sometimes management folds after one pushback.

The first question is not whether it's 'standard'—it's whether the unit is rent-stabilized or market-rate. If it's rent-stabilized, management generally cannot add a new recurring fee outside the legal regulated rent. DHCR has disallowed separate charges for services that were part of the base service, especially if the building never had a package room before. In a market-rate renewal, though, the lease is a new contract and they can add fees. The catch is the fee has to be clearly disclosed in the lease or rider, and it should say whether it's additional rent or a separate charge. In my Astoria building, a similar 'building operations fee' was dropped after several tenants asked for the list of covered services and the vendor contract. If the package room is unmanned most of the day, that's your best practical argument. Not legal advice, but I'd want it in writing whether the fee can increase at renewal or without notice, and whether nonpayment of the fee is treated like nonpayment of rent.

This is the exact thing about riders versus broker promises. Check the earlier thread Broker says 'shared backyard,' lease says no yard use — is that a dealbreaker? called Broker says 'shared backyard,' lease says no yard use — is that a dealbreaker? Same lesson: what's in the lease is what matters, not what the agent tells you. If your rider says the fee is mandatory and separate, that's what will actually be enforced.

Thanks all, this helps a lot. I checked—my apartment is market-rate, not rent-stabilized. The fee is listed in the rider under building operations fee, and it says it can be adjusted annually. I emailed management asking what exactly the $42 covers and whether it's considered additional rent. They sent a PDF with package room hours and said it's not negotiable. I might still ask for a rent credit to offset it. Has anyone gotten them to remove a fee like this after signing? Or is the best move to keep pressing before signing?

The 'adjusted annually' part would make me absolutely lose it! If the fee can change every year without you getting a new lease or renewal notice, that's not a service fee, that's a backdoor rent increase! In my current place they had a $25 trash fee and I asked them to show the invoice for the private hauler. They couldn't, so they removed it. For package rooms, ask for the exact hours the room is staffed, not just when it's open. If there's no staff, it's just a storage closet and that is absolutely not worth $42!

I got a partial cut once. My building charged $30 for 'package concierge,' but it was just a bench and a camera. I wrote a short email saying I'd be happy to pay for services I actually receive, but not for an unmanned room. They cut it to $15 and then dropped it the next renewal. It's not a sure thing, but if you can show the charge doesn't match the service, sometimes management will compromise. Worth doing before you sign, not after.

Also watch whether the fee is included in the monthly rent total on the first page or only in a rider. If it's only in the rider, some people try to withhold the fee separately and then get a rent demand for the full amount. If it's called additional rent, you're basically paying $42 more in rent no matter what they call it. For a market-rate unit the practical move is negotiation, not legal. Ask for the building's vendor contract or at least the list of covered services. Nobody actually wants to hand that over.

The fact that the rider says it can be adjusted annually is the detail that should concern you most. A 'fee' that floats without a fixed schedule acts like a rent increase even if the base rent stays the same. When these are challenged, landlords often reclassify the charge as additional rent, which makes it easier to enforce in a nonpayment proceeding. So before signing, you want a clear answer in writing to two questions: (1) Is this charge included in the monthly rent for purposes of a rent demand, late fee calculation, or lease termination? (2) What is the maximum annual adjustment, and does the adjustment require signed notice? If management won't answer those, treat the fee as a red flag. Practically, your strongest leverage is to say you're comparing this unit against another listing and the $42/month is the difference. You can ask them to reduce the base rent by the same amount or waive the fee for the first year. In a softer rental market, that works more often than people expect. If the package room is unmanned, take photos and include them in your email. It is much harder to defend a 'services fee' for a room that has no services.

Just a small update from my similar situation: after reading this thread, I emailed my management about a $28 'resident services fee' in my renewal offer and asked which services it covered. They responded the next day and removed it because I said I'd pass otherwise. It wasn't guaranteed, but writing a simple email worked. bronx_newbie, keep us posted if they budge. I'd definitely ask the two questions astoria_arch listed before signing.