WASHINGTON (March 13, 2019) – The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) issued the following statement today from President and CEO Chip Rogers in response to the ruling by a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit defeating Airbnb’s appeal to Santa Monica’s law regulating short-term rentals:

“This ruling is a historic victory for major cities across the country that have recently passed short-term rental ordinances. We applaud the court for this critical decision and believe it will encourage other city leaders, who have yet to act, to now pass similar laws to rein in illegal commercial operators who are removing permanent housing off the market, driving up housing costs and making neighborhoods less safe. Santa Monica’s law is similar to ordinances passed in other municipalities, including New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. and affirms the legality of those bills.

“We also applaud Santa Monica’s leaders and the California Hotel & Lodging Association for standing alongside families through the legal process despite Airbnb’s bullying tactics and legal threats. We are encouraged by the decision from a federal court and more confident than ever that the approach undertaken by families, community leaders and job creators in communities across the country working with local elected officials to advance common sense regulations is not only lawful but warranted.”

Serving the hospitality industry for more than a century, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is the largest national association solely representing all segments of the eight million jobs the U.S. lodging industry supports, including brands, hotel owners, REITs, chains, franchisees, management companies, independent properties, bed and breakfasts, state hotel associations and industry suppliers. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AHLA proudly represents a dynamic hotel industry of more than 54,000 properties that supports $1.1 trillion in U.S. sales and generates nearly $170 billion in taxes to local, state and federal governments. 

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