City Hall just put New York’s fitness scene on notice. Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration fired off warning letters Thursday to 187 gyms and health clubs across the five boroughs, from national chains to high-end clubs, in a compliance blitz aimed at so-called subscription traps. The focus is on membership setups that are easy to start but tough to cancel, and the message from the city is that it expects gyms to clean it up.
According to a press release from the NYC Mayor’s Office, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection sent the letters to operators including PureGym, Planet Fitness and Equinox, urging them to comply with state cancellation laws and the city’s consumer-protection rules. “New Yorkers shouldn’t need a personal trainer to cancel a gym membership,” Mayor Zohran Mamdani said, while DCWP Commissioner Sam Levine added that “having to jump through hoops to cancel an unwanted membership is a waste of your time and money.”
Context: tougher cancellation rules and recent enforcement
The letters build on a recent wave of state-level rules and enforcement. New York adopted a law that requires health clubs to process cancellations and refunds within 10 business days, a change that took effect in early 2025, and regulators have already moved against difficult cancellation practices. Gothamist reported on the 10-day rule, and last year the state secured a settlement with Equinox over hard-to-cancel memberships, a case covered in Hoodline as an Equinox $600K settlement.
How the city will enforce and what consumers can do
Mamdani’s January executive orders instructed DCWP to monitor, investigate and enforce violations tied to subscription tricks and traps, and Thursday’s letters are part of that broader citywide compliance push. Consumers who cannot cancel a membership or who suspect deceptive practices can file a complaint with DCWP online, by mail or by phone. The DCWP’s complaint page walks through how to submit documents and what to expect after filing.
DCWP typically starts by trying to mediate disputes between customers and businesses. If that does not resolve the problem and the agency finds violations, it can move to formal enforcement, seeking restitution for consumers and penalties against gyms that break the rules.
Legal implications
The city’s move lands at the same time that state lawmakers have broadened enforcement tools. The recently enacted FAIR Business Practices Act expanded the Attorney General’s authority over “unfair” and “abusive” business practices, giving both state and local regulators more leverage when they see patterns of obstructive cancellation tactics…