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Why the mayoral contest matters
The company is backing Mayor Karen Bass and other candidates while seeking easier short-term rental rules before the 2028 Olympics. Airbnb and its non-profit arm have spent at least $12.6 million since last year across political campaigns, lobbying and charitable contributions requested by politicians. The company has told investors that the Olympics could expand its Los Angeles business beyond the games, according to a Politico report.
“We have more than a 50% increase in the amount of homes in Paris on Airbnb because we hosted for the Olympics,” chief executive Brian Chesky told analysts last year. He said Airbnb had similar expectations for Los Angeles, where Bass’s challenger, City Council member Nithya Raman, opposes loosening rental restrictions. Raman has made Airbnb’s spending and Bass’s proposed rental changes campaign issues. Bass’s campaign rejects those allegations and says her proposed changes would help accommodate Olympics visitors. Airbnb’s interest extends beyond that temporary demand. Chesky has told analysts that some first-time Olympics hosts continue renting their properties after the event, making major sporting occasions a way to increase listings. Rotman said the company would continue working with city officials regardless of the election result. “At the end of the day, we will work closely with any mayor or City Council that gets elected,” he said.
Airbnb is spending millions to influence Los Angeles politics. She has characterised the relationship as pay-to-play politics and promised a new city department to oversee home-sharing and penalise violations. You use AI every day. Now get your AI Quotient. Take the AIQ test.
How much Airbnb has spent
Public filings cited by the report show Airbnb has directed at least $6.9 million towards campaigns this election cycle. Most went to political action committees supporting Bass, while $2.1 million backed a committee supporting city attorney candidate John McKinney. Those campaign contributions form part of the broader $12.6 million total.
Airbnb also spent $3.7 million on its Save Our Services lobbying campaign, which argued that expanded vacation rentals could generate tourist taxes to help address the city’s budget shortfall. Separately, its charitable arm provided $1 million worth of emergency housing at Bass’s request for families affected by a warehouse fire in Boyle Heights. Airbnb’s North American policy strategy director, Nathan Rotman, said the company supports candidates who see home-sharing as a way for residents to meet housing costs. “We’ve always supported candidates who champion solutions to the affordability crisis,” he told Politico.
What rental changes Airbnb wants
In 2018, Los Angeles adopted rules allowing short-term rentals only in primary residences. Airbnb has sought permission to expand to a wider range of properties. Bass proposed allowing vacation rentals in second homes and investment properties through 2028. Her administration also proposed letting Airbnb pay anticipated Olympics-related taxes in advance to help cover the city’s current deficit. The City Council rejected the rental expansion when it approved the budget in May. Opponents include tenant advocates concerned about losing long-term housing, neighbourhood groups frustrated by party houses, and hotel industry representatives. Council member Katy Yaroslavsky criticised Airbnb’s lobbying tactics, including campaign flyers that did not identify the company.