Airbnb’s ads opposing San Francisco’s Proposition F were met with a hostile reaction from voters.
Making light of a serious situation might not be the best way to win voters to a cause. At least that’s what Airbnb recently discovered after launching a controversial billboard campaign against San Francisco’s Proposition F.
Hoping to illustrate the financial impact Airbnb and its clients have on the city with an estimated $12 million in annual hotel tax revenues, the campaign pointed out some options for how the money might be used. Offering some serious suggestions, such as extended library hours and additional bike lanes, and some less-than-serious options, such as elevators for hills, the effort seemed to raise tempers rather than support.
Angry voters took to social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook to express their outrage over the ads. One resident broke out just how far that $12 million would actually go in helping public libraries stay open longer; her number crunching showed the amount of tax that actually benefits libraries could only pay for a few minutes of extra time.
At issue is Proposition F, a measure that’s aimed at curbing San Francisco’s booming short-term rental market in hopes of easing the city’s overall housing shortage. The measure seeks to place restrictions on landlords who list properties on house-sharing sites like Airbnb, limiting the allowed short-term rentals to 75 days a year or less. It would also require host companies, such as Airbnb, to pull ads when the properties listed violate the limits. The proposal also paves the way for neighbors to file lawsuits when landlords and host sites fail to meet the law’s requirements.
You Might Also Enjoy: Careers in Hotel and Hospitality Management
Proponents of the law say Proposition F will help free up rental space within the city where rents for single-bedroom homes can climb to more than $3,000. Those who choose to buy also find prices skyrocketing beyond reach. A 1,100-square-foot home where a corpse had once been found sold for more than $1.5 million recently.
Unsurprisingly, Airbnb has launched a major campaign to fight Proposition F. It has spent an estimated $8 million attempting to sway voters to its side. It’s also gone to great lengths to send home the message that the measure would likely reduce its annual hotel tax contribution dramatically.
While the effectiveness of Airbnb’s overall campaign will be revealed at the polls, the company’s latest billboard marketing scheme has been deemed a flop. Airbnb ultimately pulled the ads and apologized for the offense created by them. Even so, the company stands behind the effort to illustrate the size of its hotel tax contribution. It simply issued an apology for the use of a tone that was “wrong” considering the gravity of San Francisco’s housing situation.
Whether Proposition F will float or not remains to be seen. What is clear is that San Francisco’s housing shortage is an issue few are willing to take lightly.
