By Iris Craige, Assistant Director of Policy and Advocacy

September 14, 2026

Airbnb has become a major spender in Los Angeles politics, pouring millions of dollars into lobbying, campaigns, and charitable contributions. Their spending reaches beyond any single election or policy proposal, showing how a single corporation can wield influence across a city’s political landscape.

Airbnb is currently trying to persuade lawmakers to loosen the city’s short-term rental rules. Right now, a short-term rental is legal in Los Angeles if it’s the host’s primary residence. Airbnb is pushing a proposal through their Save Our Services campaign that would allow second homes and other non-primary residences to operate as short-term rentals, too.

This change to Los Angeles’ short-term rental laws would open more of the city’s housing stock to use as vacation rentals for tourists rather than homes for the people who live here and already lack affordable housing options. And removing more units from Los Angeles’ long-term rental market will reduce supply and drive rents up.

Spending in City Elections

None of Airbnb’s political spending proves that a candidate for office or elected official has done or has agreed to do anything for Airbnb in exchange for money. But spending does give the company different ways to shape power in ways that benefit their business goals. Earlier this year, LAist reported that Airbnb was the third-largest spender in Los Angeles elections in 2026, and the second-biggest in this year’s mayoral race. In August, Los Angeles Magazine reported Airbnb has contributed $1.5 million to political committees supporting incumbent Mayor Karen Bass. Political committees are organizations that raise or spend money to influence elections, including by supporting or opposing candidates. In this case, the political committee supporting Bass is separate from Bass’s own campaign committee, meaning Airbnb’s contributions do not go directly to Bass’s campaign. But political committee funds can be used for political advertising, voter outreach, or other election activity to support a candidate.

Airbnb is also spending in the race for the open City Council seat in CD 9. The company has spent $302,000 in independent expenditures supporting José Ugarte, who is running against Estuardo Mazariegos. An “independent expenditure” is money spent on political advertising by an individual or group working apart from, and with no coordination from, the official campaign.

In both the mayoral and council races, Airbnb is devoting substantial resources to shaping the political leadership of the city where it is seeking major regulatory change. And, as LAist notes, Mayor Bass used this year’s city budgeting process to advance “a proposal backed by the company to relax city regulations by letting Airbnb hosts rent out second homes and investment properties through 2028.”

Behested Payments

Airbnb has also made large charitable donations at the request of sitting council members, known as “behested payments.” The company gave $570,000 to the Salvadoran American Leadership and Educational Fund at the request of CD 11 Councilmember Traci Park, and $25,000 to the North Valley Family YMCA at the request of CD 12 Councilmember John Lee. Behested payments are not campaign contributions, and the money does not go to the elected official—it goes to whichever organization the official selects. But behested payments allow companies with issues before the city, like Airbnb, to donate to organizations chosen by the same people who are going to make decisions about those issues.

Investing in Relationships 

Airbnb is also spending directly on their Save Our Services campaign, using former elected officials to do the work. The company’s Los Angeles policy director, Justin Wesson, is the son of former City Council President Herb Wesson and previously worked as an aide for his father at City Hall. 

The company has paid roughly $2.3 million to Bridge Street Inc, a company run by former CD 10 Councilmember Martin Ludlow, for organizing and canvassing to build support for the regulatory change Airbnb is seeking. Airbnb also donated $750,000 to the Los Angeles Jazz Festival, which Ludlow organized. The festival was supposed to take place last month, but was abruptly canceled. Mayor Bass joined Ludlow and Justin Wesson to announce the festival earlier this year. 

Money Talks

Different approaches to political spending give Airbnb different ways to operate in Los Angeles politics. The company can hire people with longstanding relationships inside City Hall to advocate for them, spend independently in council races and contribute to committees supporting the mayor, sponsor civic events, and make donations to organizations selected by elected officials. Each expenditure is made in a different context; together, they give a clearer picture of the resources Airbnb is bringing to local political fights.

So far, Airbnb’s proposed changes to Los Angeles’s vacation rental rules still have not passed. The Planning and Land Use Management Committee held the item on May 12, and as of the latest activity on August 20, Council File 25-0029-S1 remained pending for review in the PLUM and Budget and Finance Committees. 

SAJE does not endorse candidates for public office. Any discussion of candidates or elections in this post is included solely to report on publicly disclosed lobbying, campaign, and political spending.