You haven't accounted for the length of the lease in your analysis. A no-fee place is baking the fee into the rent. The longer you stay in a place the better of

You haven't accounted for the length of the lease in your analysis. A no-fee place is baking the fee into the rent. The longer you stay in a place the better off you are paying the fee and starting at a lower rent. This is especially true if you are right around the borderline for rent stabilized apartments (I believe $2,700 a month in 2016). You are far better off getting a rent stabilized apartment for $2,650 and paying a fee than getting a no-fee apartment at say $2,850.