New York City's mayor has a message for car rental companies: stop hiding the real price. In a social media post on Wednesday, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that his administration had issued 56 summonses from 62 inspections of car rental businesses across the city between May and July.

"We swept NYC car rental businesses to see if they were clearly disclosing their prices and posting refund policies as our laws require," Mamdani wrote on X. He quoted a post from the city's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection, adding, "Renting a car shouldn't trap you in a maze of hidden fees and shady policies." His warning to businesses was blunt: "Tell people the real price" and post policies clearly.

The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) followed up with a statement on Wednesday laying out what rental companies must do. They're now required to "honor all reservations within one-half hour of the reserved time at the reserved price, unless the consumer is told in advance that the reservation is not guaranteed." If the reserved vehicle isn't available, the business must "provide a car that seats as many passengers and meets the consumer's needs."

Businesses also need to put up signs explaining the city's Consumer Protection Laws and how to file complaints. The crackdown is part of a broader push by the Mamdani administration to protect consumers from opaque pricing practices.

Meanwhile, the car rental industry is making headlines for other reasons. Hertz Global Holdings Inc. (HTZ) recently found itself in the spotlight when Pershing Square CEO Bill Ackman revealed that his firm had exited its position in the company, selling off approximately 15.2 million shares. That stake had made Hertz Pershing Square's 10th-largest holding.

Hertz also posted its second-quarter earnings report earlier this month, showing revenue of $2.4 billion, a 10% year-over-year increase that beat Wall Street's estimate of $2.28 billion. The company's adjusted loss of 11 cents per share also came in better than the analyst consensus of a 24-cent loss.

Over at rival Avis Budget Group, Inc. (CAR), the stock has been one of the most heavily shorted, according to market data. It's a reminder that even as the rental car business rebounds, investors remain wary of the sector's challenges.

For now, the focus in New York is on making sure consumers aren't caught off guard. As Mamdani put it, the goal is simple: no more hidden fees, no more shady policies, just the real price.