NYC Mayor Mamdani Targets Gym Membership Cancellations

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has sent a clear message to gyms and health clubs across the city that he’s here to protect members’ and consumers’ best interests.

Operators including Equinox, Planet Fitness and PureGym are among the 187 gyms and clubs sent warning notices to adhere to laws including the city’s Consumer Protection law, which prohibits deceptive advertising like “bait-and-switch” pricing and intentionally difficult routes to cancelling memberships.

“New Yorkers shouldn’t need a personal trainer to cancel a gym membership,” Mamdani said. “If a company makes it easy to sign up but nearly impossible to walk away, we will enforce the law and protect your time and your money.”

The crackdown on NYC gyms comes as part of Mamdani’s broader mission to combat citywide hidden junk fees and subscription traps.

The gym crackdown follows Mamdani’s executive order directing the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) “to monitor, investigate and enforce violations related to subscription tricks and traps.” That includes practices such as making subscription or membership cancellations cumbersome, frustrating and confusing.

“Going to the gym is good for your health, but having to jump through hoops to cancel an unwanted membership is a waste of your time and money,” said DCWP Commissioner Sam Levine. “Our citywide warning to gyms makes it clear that DCWP will not hesitate to take aggressive enforcement action against gyms using deceptive tactics that hurt consumers, as well as honest businesses playing by the rules.”

One of those tactics involves gyms offering a membership for free at first, and the consumer later discovers unexpected fees after enrollment, known as a bait-and-switch.

Others include unnecessary hurdles without clear disclosure at the time of signup, or burdensome administrative requirements before a member can cancel.

The DCWP reported that it received dozens of complaints from consumers struggling to cancel their gym memberships in 2025.

“PureGym is committed to transparency and fairness in pricing and cancellation. Affordability, accessibility and flexibility are key components of our 24/7 fitness offer which is great for the residents of New York. We are reviewing the DCWP’s notice as part of a broader industry initiative and are confident in our cancellation process and our ability to support the mayor and residents of New York,” a PureGym spokesperson said in a statement to Athletech News.

Some brands have already come under fire for the potentially shady practices. New York Attorney General Letitia James reached a settlement with Equinox Group last year, after the luxury fitness operator was found to have violated state consumer protection laws by making it challenging for members to cancel their subscriptions. The agreement resulted in Equinox paying out $600,000 in penalties and refunding customers who attempted to cancel but were unable to do so.

Consumers have long complained about these practices from fitness clubs, but seeing legislative change on a national scale has proven difficult.

The Health & Fitness Association (HFA), America’s top fitness industry trade organization, hailed the court’s ruling as “a major victory.”