On March 18, 2026, the Mamdani Administration held its first Citywide Junk Fees Task Force Meeting at City Hall, an essential component of Mayor Mamdani’s Executive Order 9, to combat hidden junk fees and enforce compliance with the city’s consumer protection laws.
Deputy Mayor for Economic Justice Julie Su and Commissioner of the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Sam Levine hosted leaders from 10 city agencies and offices, including the Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), Department of Buildings (DOB), Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), Department of Transportation (DOT), Small Business Services (SBS), the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA), the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants (MOPT), the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment (MOME), the Mayor’s office of Equity and Racial Justice (MOERJ) and the City Commission on Human Rights (CCHR).
“Junk fees are just that: garbage charges that have no place on any bill or receipt. They’ve become far too common, jacking up prices as hard-working New Yorkers go about their daily lives––shopping for groceries, filing their taxes, renting an apartment, booking a hotel, or putting their belongings in storage,” said Commissioner and New York Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) attorney Sam Levine. “Today’s convening demonstrated the thoughtfulness, creativity and relentlessness that our city agencies bring to their work, day in and day out. We are laser focused on building a city that working people can afford, and we plan to deliver. The era of junk fees in New York City ends with this administration.”
Recapping over two months of concerted action against excessive and predatory fees, this first task force meeting laid the groundwork for further initiatives to eliminate spurious charges responsible for driving up the cost-of-living for working New Yorkers. Participating agencies are identifying problematic fees within their regulatory jurisdictions, sharing relevant data, and outlining plans to address these deceptive practices through oversight and enforcement. Insights from this discussion will help shape engagement with external stakeholders in future meetings and inform the development of targeted public policy solutions. Subsequent meetings will focus on advancing these proposals, tracking implementation progress, and assessing completed and outstanding actions, demonstrating a coordinated, whole-of-government approach to rooting out corruption, exploitation, and corporate greed in the economy.
Details of Executive Order 09
On January 5, 2026, Mayor Mamdani signed Executive Orders 9 and 10, launching a citywide crackdown on junk fees and subscription traps. These executive orders strengthen the integrity of the local economy by requiring greater transparency in pricing and eliminating hidden junk fees that mislead consumers. By augmenting enforcement and establishing a citywide taskforce to investigate deceptive pricing across industries, this order helps ensure that businesses compete honestly and that consumers know the true cost of what they are buying: the bedrock of any fair, free and thriving marketplace.
DCWP Crack Down on Junk Fees
As of March 18, 2026, DCWP has sent compliance warnings to over 2,100 New York City businesses, reminding them of their transparency and disclosure obligations as it relates to illegal hidden fees. DCWP also conducted compliance sweeps and investigations in industries with a history of problematic fees, including employment agencies, tax preparers, and gyms.
Since January, DCWP has led the administration’s campaign against predatory companies and industries that have ripped off consumers with unfair fees, hidden charges, surprise price increases, or bait-and-switch financing arrangements:
- Extra Space: Last month, DCWP announced the filing of a landmark lawsuit against Extra Space, a publicly traded self-storage company that operates approximately 60 locations across New York City. DCWP’s investigation allegedly found that Extra Space precipitously raised prices with little to no notice, charged previously undisclosed “late fees” for allegedly delayed payment, and threatened to auction off consumers’ belongings unless the consumer paid the entirety of the unexpected charges and fees.
- Radiant Solar Lawsuit: DCWP filed a landmark lawsuit against Radiant Solar, a solar panel installation company charged with defrauding New Yorkers seeking lower energy bills by signing them up for large loans without disclosing terms or obtaining consent and baking in an undisclosed “dealer fees.” Consumers allegedly experienced shoddy or incomplete installation and often had to pay out of pocket to address the damage.
- Instant Recovery: DCWP announced a lawsuit against Instant Recovery Corp., a Bronx-based tow truck operator, for allegedly engaging in predatory practices and repeatedly violating City laws .After receiving a high volume of complaints, DCWP launched an investigation that purportedly found Instant Recovery consistently charged illegal fees, overbilled customers and used other unlawful tactics to exploit New Yorkers.
Hotel Junk Fees Rule
On February 22, New York DCWP’s final rule banning junk fees on hotel stays took effect. This rule will protect both consumers coming to New York City and New Yorkers traveling elsewhere around the country. According to leading economists, states the DCWP, banning hotel junk fees will save New Yorkers up to $35 million per year, and will save visitors to New York up to $31 million. DCWP’s rule, modeled after a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) rule, makes it a deceptive trade practice under the City’s Consumer Protection Law to offer, display or advertise a price for a hotel without clearly and conspicuously disclosing the total price of the stay, including all mandatory fees.
