Airbnb, the $84 billion home‑sharing giant, is reviving its push to re‑enter New York’s short‑term rental market as the city prepares for the World Cup. The company has staged town halls in Harlem, Bedford‑Stuyvesant and Jamaica, courting Black homeowners who could profit from relaxed regulations. clergy, led by Rev. Al Sharpton, met City Council speaker Julie Menin to argue the changes would help Black property owners.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a soccer fan, has praised the World Cup’s economic boost but refused Airbnb’s plea to roll back the city’s 30‑day rental ban. Under state law, rentals under 30 days are illegal unless the host is present, a rule the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council has defended fiercely. The union’s lobbying budget eclipses Airbnb’s $900,000 spend on local legislation.

Airbnb has poured several hundred thousand dollars into the City Council’s Way to Win Gala and pledged 1,000 free World Cup tickets to Queens youth, while opening a soccer pitch in the Bronx. Despite the outreach, the proposed bill enjoys only four sponsors and would not take effect for six months, leaving Airbnb unable to capitalize on the tournament’s surge.