Company admits it struck ‘wrong tone’ with ad campaign highlighting hotel tax contributions of its users after it backfires

Short-term home letting site Airbnb has apologised for a series of passive-aggressive adverts posted in San Francisco, apparently intended to boost the company’s image in the runup to a vote on whether or not to more strictly regulate Airbnb-style rentals.

The adverts, posted on bus shelters and billboards throughout its home city, focus on the estimated $12m raised through San Francisco’s current hotel taxes from homeowners who use Airbnb to rent out their properties.

Robert J Fangman (@FangmanRob) @JesseThorn @Airbnb going after all underpaid public servants pic.twitter.com/6cJWYhqAjY

“Dear Public Library System, we hope you use some of the $12 million in hotel taxes to keep the library open later. Love, Airbnb,” reads one.

Adam N. Mayer (@AdamNMayer) @juliacarriew @khuey_ @njudah Wonder if they're going to take down these giant billboards above Union Sq. too pic.twitter.com/cr79pdbDgm

“Dear Parking Enforcement, please use the $12 million in hotel taxes to feed all expired parking meters. Love, Airbnb,” reads another.



Other adverts, with a similar tone, call for the money to be used “to install more electric vehicle charging stations”, “to put escalators on all the hills”, “to keep art in schools”, “to build more bike lanes”, and “to plant more trees”.

Matt Stempeck (@mstem) Airbnb ads, part of $8M fighting Prop F, highlight $12M in taxes, backfire immediately. https://t.co/lAYGYNOJFc pic.twitter.com/BmfjKWTJu7

They have not been well received by San Franciscans, who have taken to social media to point out that paying taxes is fairly normal for companies and citizens to do. In one Facebook post, Martha Kenney, an assistant professor at San Francisco State University, summed up the mood.

“I’m happy to hear that you paid your taxes this year,” she wrote. “I did too! Isn’t it awesome? However, I’ve crunched some numbers and I have some bad news for you. Out of your $12 mil of hotel tax, only 1.4% percent goes to the SF Public Libraries. So that’s $168,000. Divided by the 868 library staff, we have $193 per person. Assuming each employee works five days per week minus holidays, this is $0.78 per employee per day.

“Since that’s significantly under San Francisco minimum wage ($12.25/hr), I doubt that your hotel tax can keep the libraries open more than a minute or two later.”

The adverts appeared in the runup to November’s election day, when one specific motion, Proposition F, calls on the city to strictly regulate the company’s rentals.

Airbnb points out that, by making it harder to let on its site, the proposition could reduce the income San Francisco receives from hotel taxes. It has spent over $8m fighting the motion, a figure which does not include the cost of the “Dear San Francisco” campaign, which is not officially part of the anti-Proposition-F campaign. San Francisco authorities do not allow political adverts to be erected on bus shelters.

In a statement given to SFWeekly, Airbnb confirmed the adverts were posted by them, after some speculated that they were so counterproductive that they must be the work of “culture jammers” making hoax adverts.

“The intent was to show the hotel tax contribution from our hosts and guests, which is roughly $1m per month. It was the wrong tone and we apologise to anyone who was offended. These ads are being taken down immediately.”