Business/Technology Reporter
Colorado’s new law prohibiting deceptive pricing went into effect Jan. 1. But that doesn’t mean diners won’t see a “kitchen appreciation” or other service charge on their check. There will still be convenience fees on movie tickets, delivery fees for deliveries and a cornucopia of other extra charges for renters.
Businesses just need to disclose them ahead of time. There are some exceptions.
If policies cracking down on surprise fees, often called junk fees, sound familiar, they should. They’ve already been in place for some industries, like the airlines, hotels and ticket sellers. Colorado also had fee disclosure rules in its consumer-protection laws. The new law adds fee transparency in rental housing and restaurants.
Providing the total price for renting an apartment, buying a ticket or other service does benefit businesses as well, said Sarah Mercer, an attorney at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck who helps business clients understand local policies.
“As long as the same rules apply across the industry, my experience with our clients and (others during) the debate and dialog around House Bill 1090 was a sense that this is OK,” Mercer said. “The bigger issue is if you’re seeing my hotel price is $200 a night but a competitor is at $150 a night, which doesn’t include taxes or fees, a consumer might be misled into thinking that the other hotel is going to be a lower price.”
According to the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, complaints about junk fees have already started to come in this year, a spokesperson said, declining to elaborate. For consumers noticing surprise fees popping up, you can file a complaint at coag.gov/file-complaint.
But consumer advocates wish the laws went further.
“Junk fees have absolutely proliferated and they are a big part of the story of housing unaffordability,” said Ariel Nelson, a senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center, a progressive think tank in Washington, D.C. “Colorado’s legislation (is) about the total all-in price. … But disclosure alone is never going to be that effective.”
Here’s a roundup of fees and state and federal laws that impact them.
Apartments
Under the new law, the total monthly price must include all mandatory fees. Companies like Apartments.com added the “all-in pricing” in August in Colorado, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Minnesota, Nevada and other states with similar laws. It relies on landlords to update fees in states where disclosure is required.
If a fee is optional, it shouldn’t be part of the total price. Also exempt from the total price: taxes and other government fees.
But adding fees wasn’t a simple task, like just updating a website, said Erica Sanchez, a spokesperson for the Colorado Apartment Association.
“Properties have to conduct full fee audits, update marketing materials and signage, revise lease language and retrain staff so they can understand all of the new legislative changes,” Sanchez said in an email. “As residents renew their leases this year, ensuring these changes are implemented with every new lease will be difficult — especially for smaller operators with limited resources.”
The Apartment Association of Metro Denver plans to propose modifications to the law during the next legislative session.
But the law was also to address complaints about Greystar, a large rental property manager that became the headliner for hidden fees. The state AG’s office sued Greystar last year and accused the company of failing to disclose fees — like package handling, utilities, smart home service, valet trash and more — that added hundreds of dollars to anticipated monthly rents, according to the lawsuit. Greystar agreed to stop misrepresenting the monthly price and paid a $24 million penalty.
There are still a lot of strange fees out there, including an “amenity fee” added last month to the bill of one Denver renter who spoke to The Colorado Sun. When she asked her landlord about it, the reply was $100 for her apartment’s loft; $50 for a mountain view; $25 for vinyl flooring.
Restaurants and bars
Those added service fees that may or may not be a tip must be publicized well in advance of customers seeing the dinner bill. But not just that a fee exists, but how is it distributed.
The Colorado Restaurant Association is advising members to make sure fees are posted on menus, a sign by a cash register, digital banners on websites, printed on receipts and even audibly explained to phone customers. It also should be easy to understand.
Hotels and travel agents
The so-called “resort fees” that some hotels include on top of the per-night cost had been nagging the Federal Trade Commission since 2022. The Trade Regulation Rule on Unfair or Deceptive Fees forbids hiding fees so comparison shoppers will see total cost for a night’s stay without being tricked by fees added after the search. It went into effect May 12, 2025.
This junk-fee rule wasn’t limited to hotels, but also required fee transparency for live-event ticketing and vacation rentals.
Just a few weeks earlier, Airbnb said it would display the “total price” of a stay as the default for all listings. Previously, the user could toggle the option to see the total price, including the cleaning fee (a must-add to the total price, according to the FTC rule).
Credit card fees
They’re allowed, but up to a maximum of 2% of the total bill. This is credited to a 2021 state law that repealed an older law banning credit card surcharges passed on to customers.
Restaurants, bars and merchants must disclose the fee on a sign within the premises or if it’s online only, disclose it before the customer makes the purchase.
Tickets
Ticket sellers already had to disclose all fees, thanks to a law passed in 2024. House Bill 1378 updated the state’s consumer protection laws around ticket sales by clarifying rules around refunds and resellers. It also forbids sellers from hiding the total price of a ticket before a customer makes the purchase.
Any additional service charges, other than delivery fees or sales tax, must be clearly part of the total price of the ticket. The penalty is up to $20,000 per violation.
Airplane tickets
Advertised airfares must publish the full price of the ticket, including mandatory taxes and government fees, according to a U.S. Department of Transportation rule that went into effect Jan. 26, 2012.
A newer rule from the Biden administration in 2024 requires airlines to disclose fees for checked bags and carry-ons, plus fees to cancel or change a reservation before a ticket is purchased. Several major airlines challenged whether DOT had the authority to make such rules but lost the case. However, a federal appeals court is reconsidering the decision.
Broadband
In April 2024, a Federal Communications Commission rule began requiring broadband internet providers to display what looks like a nutrition label that spells out a customer’s internet plan, speed, price and fees. Companies like Comcast added explainers to help consumers understand the new labels.
However, on Nov. 3, the FCC proposed eliminating some of the requirements, which is now being reviewed.
➔ File a complaint with the Colorado AG’s office >> coag.gov/file-complaint
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Other working bits
➔ Denver Broncos could add $46 million to local economy. Of that, out-of-state fans could spend $24 million on hotels, food and tickets, according to projections by economists at the Common Sense Institute, a Greenwood Village think tank. Of course, that’s only if the team beats the Buffalo Bills on Saturday.
Some of the calculations also come from how much players are paid, which comes out to $5.9 million in postseason pay for one game and $10.2 million if they win this weekend but lose the following game, which would also be in Denver. Lots of interesting stats for those heading to Empower Field at Mile High, or prefer to watch elsewhere on the big screen. >> See the report
➔ Colorado School of Mines adds quantum engineering degree. It’s the first of its kind, says the school, a major supporter of the region’s quantum-computing hub. Mines announced the Bachelor of Science in Quantum Systems Engineering because you don’t need a Ph.D. to work in the quantum realm anymore. But getting some of that research lab experience is beneficial to the future workforce and the region. The first student cohort starts this fall. >> Details
➔ Grants for first-time homebuyers in Colorado. High house prices are the top reasons for prospective homebuyer hesitancy, according to a report from Bank of America. The bank has two grant programs to help first-time buyers in certain Colorado counties. One offers up to $10,000 for down payments and the other provides up to $7,500 to pay closing costs or buy down the interest rate. The grants are available in several Colorado counties and do not need to be repaid. >> Details
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