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US: Airbnb has reportedly spent $7.1 million supporting candidates in Los Angeles elections as the city considers temporarily expanding short-term rentals ahead of the 2028 Olympic Games.
According to an analysis by Capital & Main, Airbnb’s Committee to Expand the Middle Class has contributed to independent expenditure committees supporting mayor Karen Bass and candidates in three other local contests.
The company also backed Traci Park, who retained her City Council seat in the June primary.
The spending comes as Airbnb campaigns for a limited Vacation Rental Programme that would allow second homes to be rented to visitors during major events, including the 2027 Super Bowl and 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Los Angeles currently permits residents to offer only their primary homes as short-term rentals.
Under the proposed programme, vacation rentals would be capped at one per cent of the city’s housing supply and the policy would expire by 31 December 2028. Eligible properties would need to have been owned by the host before the end of 2025, while rent-controlled and affordable homes would be excluded.
The proposal remains pending before the City Council’s Budget and Finance Committee and Planning and Land Use Management Committee.
Airbnb has argued that additional accommodation will help Los Angeles meet visitor demand during the Olympics while generating up to $110 million in transient occupancy taxes.
Capital & Main reports that the company has separately spent almost $4.2 million lobbying in Los Angeles over 18 months, primarily in support of the vacation rental proposal.
Airbnb spokesperson Justin Wesson said its political spending supports candidates who promote local economies and enable homeowners to generate additional income through home sharing.
Opponents have warned that expanding vacation rentals could remove homes from the residential market and place further pressure on housing affordability. Some city officials have also questioned whether increasing accommodation supply would generate substantial additional tax revenue without attracting more visitors.
City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, chair of the Planning and Land Use Management Committee, has indicated that the proposal will not receive a hearing until city departments report on strengthening enforcement of the existing home-sharing regulations.
The future of the programme could be influenced by the outcome of the Los Angeles elections on 3 November. Bass supports a temporary expansion to accommodate Olympic visitors, while mayoral challenger Nithya Raman has criticised plans to loosen the city’s short-term rental restrictions.
Highlights
- Airbnb has reportedly spent $7.1 million supporting candidates in Los Angeles elections.
- Los Angeles is considering allowing second homes to operate as vacation rentals temporarily.
- The proposed programme would cover the 2027 Super Bowl and 2028 Olympic Games.
- Vacation rentals would be capped at one per cent of the city’s housing supply.
- The programme would expire by 31 December 2028.
- Airbnb says the expansion could generate up to $110 million in transient occupancy taxes.
