Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky (LinkedIn, illustration by The Real Deal with Getty)
In the struggle for influence in the country’s legislative chambers, Airbnb puts its money to work, spending nearly half a million dollars this year to lobby federal issues related to tourism, housing and online sales.
According to an analysis of The real deal statements filed with the House of Representatives. If the pace continues, the company’s annual expenses would be the highest in the past 10 years.
Airbnb’s most prolific year of federal lobbying was 2020, when it shelled out $690,000. Airbnb did not confirm the numbers or provide spending information in July, August or September.
The House report does not include lobbying expenditures at the state and local levels, where Airbnb is particularly active because that’s where most regulations on short-term rentals occur. According to a recent report from SFGate, the startup regularly rolls out grassroots campaigns — thanks to the mobilization of its hosts — to fight short-term rental restrictions across California.
Aaron Peskin, a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, described Airbnb as a “pioneer” in getting its hosts to push back against policies that hurt short-term rentals.
This year, the company intervened on several federal legislative proposals. In its second quarter report, Airbnb disclosed $260,000 in expenses related to “general discussions” on tourism, payment release and HR 8152, a data privacy bill introduced in June.
Company officials, who have lobbied federal agencies such as the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Agriculture and the Forest Service, have also lobbied for policies relating to housing, taxes, immigration and disaster planning.
Airbnb recently hired Meaghan Lynch, a former aide to Vice President Kamala Harris, as its public policy manager. He is also represented by Kountoupes Denham Carr & Reid, the lobbying firm of the Flex Association, a coalition of gig companies such as Uber, Instacart, DoorDash and Grubhub.
While Airbnb is investing politically, its rivals have mostly backed off. Expedia Group, owner of short-term rental platform Vrbo, spent $280,000 on lobbying in the first half of the year. This is its lowest half-year total in 10 years.
Airbnb’s spending, however, is modest compared to its competitors in the hospitality industry. The American Hotel and Lodging Association, a hospitality industry trade group, spent $1.1 million on federal lobbying in the first half of the year. Marriott International spent $750,000.
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