A new U.S. rule requires hotels and short-term accommodation companies to disclose what are called "trash fees."

The rules, announced by the Federal Trade Commission in December, target directly to widely disgusting fees that can serve as "recreation destinations," "destinations, or "hotel services" fees and are intended to grant privileges travelers that they do not want or have already expected to receive.

These include "premium" internet service and access to hotel gyms.

The rule also applies to live event ticketing companies, aiming to reduce a practice that makes businesses “not look like they are raising prices,” Cathy Mansfield of the School of Law of Western Reserve Law School told CNBC in December.

The professor who specializes in consumer and commercial law has a warning: "I really hope the Trump administration will not cut down on the FTC and CFPB law enforcement officers."

But since the announcement of the rule, the Trump administration has been working to eliminate nearly 90% of the Consumer Financial Protection Agency's employees and fired two FTC Commissioner - Action challenged in the U.S. court system.

As a result, Mansfield said she now believes the new rules are unlikely to protect consumers.

"Since the Trump administration is powerless, there may not be new protections for consumers - where possible, rollbacks of existing protections, absolutely no rules enforced. This is simply no protection for consumers," she said.

In response, FTC’s Director of Consumer Protection Agency Chris Mufarrige told CNBC that the agency “is working to protect consumers and will continue to take enforcement actions against companies that violate the law, including new deceptive expense rules.”

The Trump administration also passed an executive order on March 31 to target the live entertainment industry fees that directed the FTC to ensure price transparency “During all stages of the ticket shopping process. ”

CFPB did not respond to CNBC's request for comment.

French citizen Laurent Bacinski was hit by an undisclosed garbage fee during a trip to New York City.

He prepaid the trip for the travel app, but his hotel was still charged a $500 deposit when checking in, from which the hotel deducted taxes and a "destination fee" per night. These fees offer high-speed internet, discounts on sightseeing tours and credits for mini-mart at the small hotel.

He told CNBC Travel: "The destination fee is a service I don't need."

Disclosure of these fees is the crux of the FTC rules, and it is not about eliminating them, but about making sure travelers know their presence.

“The garbage fee rule is rooted in a simple but powerful principle: transparency,” Mansfield said. “When consumers can see the full price ahead of time (whether they are booking a hotel, buying concert tickets or paying service fees), they can better make informed decisions and avoid being misled.”

Lauren Wolfe, an attorney for Travelers United, a nonprofit, said the transparency has begun.

“We have seen more voluntary compliance since the rule was announced in December,” she said.

Airbnb announced in April that it began displaying cleaning and service fees for customers around the world.

Wolfe mentioned another bill, the Hotel Fees Transparency Act of 2025, which cleared the U.S. House of Representatives in April and will now be conducted in front of the Senate.

“"The combination of FTC rules and a bill that has bipartisan support in Congress and looks to pass - suggesting that the end of the hidden hotel reserve resort is a problem today, which brings together all Americans," she said.

CNBC Travel analyzed 10 booking sites and stayed for two nights at Balboa Bay Resort, a hotel in Newport Beach, California, for a $40 daily resort fee, as stated on the hotel's website.

Of these 10 sites, seven disclosed fees in various ways - as “destination fees,” “property fees,” or “property services fees,” while three did not.

Mansfield recommends filing a complaint with the FTC if a traveler encounters an undisclosed fee for hotels or short-term rentals. Penalties for violating the new rules may exceed $50,000.

“The FTC has a very easy-to-use online complaint system and their complaints help them understand what is going on in the market,” she said.

She said she also recommends using CFPB's online complaint system. "They actually forward the complaint to the company ... sometimes it solves the problem because the company doesn't want to go into the CFPB's crosshair," she said.

Travelers can also contact the consumer fraud department of its state attorney general’s office, Mansfield said. “I will complain to the federal and state,” she said.

If everything else fails, travelers can also consider posting a complaint on social media.

“Sometimes, sometimes, the squeaky wheels get grease.”