Interestingly, last couple of times I tried to move from my current apartment, the agent declared that the entire fee is paid by the landlord, not me.

Maybe it's because in late 2020 and early 2021 the market was heavily tilted in favor of renters, and rents plummeted so much I seriously eyed pretty elite areas of Manhattan like UES.

Now, of course, the pendulum has swung to the opposite extreme.