New proposed legislation, called the ‘No Hidden Fees on Extra Expenses for Stays (No Hidden FEES) Act of 2023’ (H.R 6543), was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives today by Reps. Young Kim, R-Calif., and Kathy Castor, D-Fla.
The bill aims to improve pricing transparency for customers shopping for short-term lodging, including hotels, motels, inns and privately-owned vacation rentals.
If passed, the No Hidden Fees Act would prohibit misleading or dishonest price advertising of short-term accommodations, requiring that lodging providers and third-party sellers provide only accurate and comprehensive price listings that include all mandatory fees.
“As Americans pay more for everything due to persistent high inflation, the last thing families need after budgeting for trips is to be hit with costly last-minute fees,” said Rep. Kim. “The No Hidden FEES Act would right this wrong and help provide cost transparency for consumers, so they know how much they are paying for lodging upfront. I will keep fighting to make life more affordable for families in Southern California and throughout our nation.”
“Hidden ‘junk fees’ added to hotel room bookings often confuse or deceive consumers and take a bite out of the family vacation budget. As a top vacation destination, Florida families and visitors need relief from these hidden junk fees,” said Rep. Castor. “Excessive junk fees have driven up costs and left millions of Americans on the hook for tens of billions of dollars each year while stifling competition, hurting consumers, workers, small businesses and entrepreneurs. Our No Hidden FEES Act will improve transparency to ensure travelers can make fully informed decisions without being deceived by hidden junk fees.”
“The No Hidden FEES Act creates a single standard for mandatory fee display across the lodging industry—from short-term rental platforms to online travel agencies, search engines, metasearch sites, and hotels. This legislation would ensure that wherever consumers shop for lodging, mandatory fees are included in the price they see,” Chip Rogers, President & CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), said in support of the bill. “AHLA is grateful for the leadership of Reps. Kim and Castor in fighting to level the playing field for all types of lodging providers and distributors. We look forward to helping get this important legislation to the president’s desk.”
The No Hidden FEES Act is not the first proposed piece of legislation that aims to eliminate the types of hidden or “junk” fees that are often tacked onto the up-front advertised price of stays at hotels, resorts and other short-term accommodations. The Hotel Fees Transparency Act is a similar bill that was introduced in the Senate back in July by Sens. Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Moran, R-Kan., which is also supported by the AHLA.
