Airbnb Steps Up Political Fight to Sway Arizona Rental Rules

Airbnb has established a tax-exempt political group called the “Airbnb Responsible Tourism Coalition,” with a focus on Arizona, where local government officials are reconsidering rules for short-term rentals.

According to a newly released IRS filing obtained by Skift, this group aims to support or oppose state and local political candidates in Arizona related to short-term rental policies.

The organization is registered by Joel Aurora, an Airbnb lobbyist and partner at the government relations firm Nielsen Merksamer Parrinello Gross & Leoni LLP.

Arizona is a key focus because it is experiencing growing regulatory scrutiny of short-term rentals, driven by concerns about housing shortages, neighborhood impacts, and tax collection. Cities like Scottsdale and Sedona have seen a rapid increase in short-term rental listings, prompting calls for tighter regulations to balance tourism with community needs.

Airbnb often emphasizes the economic benefits its platform brings, including generating billions in tourism taxes, supporting local jobs, and boosting small businesses.

According to Airbnb, since 2014, the company has collected and remitted $13.5 billion in tourism taxes to governments globally. In 2024, hosts in the US and Canada generated over $2.6 billion in taxes (around $2.4 billion in the US and $329 million in Canada).

As of now, the status and activities of this new political entity remain unclear, with Airbnb declining to comment on the matter.

In September, CEO Brian Chesky announced plans to add a new hotel booking interface to the Airbnb app as a standalone tab. This move aims to capture travelers who turn to hotel websites when they can’t find preferred options among vacation rentals.