FTC to Ban So-Called “Junk Fees” on Short Term Rentals, Hotels, Live Event Ticketing

LAS VEGAS, NV – The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced Tuesday that they will be instituting a ban on so-called “junk fees,” which is a term used to describe bait-and-switch pricing and other tactics used to hide total prices and misrepresent fees in the short-term lodging and live-event ticketing industries; often, these are referred to as “resort,” “convenience,” or “service” fees.

As far as the short-term rental industry is concerned, that includes all online booking platforms and websites such as Airbnb and Vrbo.

The Junk Fees Rule will require full up-front disclosure of pricing information “in a timely, transparent, and truthful way” as it pertains to consumers of short-term lodging and live-event tickets; the FTC says that the rule will level the competitive playing field and make it easier for consumers to engage in comparison shopping and ultimately, save money.

People deserve to know up-front what they’re being asked to pay—without worrying that they’ll later be saddled with mysterious fees that they haven’t budgeted for and can’t avoid,” said FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. “The FTC’s rule will put an end to junk fees around live event tickets, hotels, and vacation rentals, saving Americans billions of dollars and millions of hours in wasted time. I urge enforcers to continue cracking down on these unlawful fees and encourage state and federal policymakers to build on this success with legislation that bans unfair and deceptive junk fees across the economy.”

The FTC originally began investigating junk fees in 2022, initially conducting two rounds of public input; ultimately, the agency received over 70,000 comments.

The Junk Fees Rule is expected to take effect in 120 days from the date it was announced, which was Tuesday, Dec. 17. The exact methods of FTC enforcement of the rule has not yet been revealed, with the agency merely saying that it “will use its law enforcement authority to continue to rigorously pursue bait-and-switch pricing tactics, such as drip pricing and misleading fees, in other industries through case-by-case enforcement.”

Shelter Realty is a Real Estate and Property Management Company specializing in the areas of Henderson, Las Vegas and North Las Vegas, NV. Feel free to give us a call at 702.376.7379 so we can answer any questions you may have.