Rochester, NY — Monroe County Legislator Rachel Barnhart today released newly obtained County documents showing that Airbnb and its lobbyists — including Congressman Joe Morelle’s son, Nicholas Morelle — were directly involved in crafting the short-term rental (STR) “opt-out” legislation that the Legislature will vote on tonight.
Only three hours before the vote, the Bello administration provided the Legislature with records of its communications with Airbnb and its lobbyim firm, Ostroff and Associates. The documents reveal a months-long pattern of privileged access for the company and its lobbyists as the bill was being developed.
Monroe County is the ONLY major New York county opting out.
Airbnb’s Lobbyists Had Extraordinary Influence Over the Bill
County records show multiple meetings and calls between senior County staff, Airbnb representatives, and lobbyists from Ostroff Associates beginning in the spring. Among those involved was Nicholas Morelle, Congressman Joe Morelle’s son and a registered lobbyist for Airbnb. Congressman Morelle and County Executive Bello have an extremely close political relationship, and these records show that the Congressman’s son had repeated access to senior County officials throughout the drafting of the bill.
One email included in the packet shows Airbnb’s lobbyist providing legislative language to the County. On page 19, Nicholas Morelle wrote:
“Attached is VCA template as well as opt-out & tax protection language.”
Airbnb’s lobbyists supplied Monroe County with draft opt-out language designed to help the company avoid the state’s STR transparency requirements.
No other stakeholder received this level of input. Neighborhood groups, housing advocates, taxpayers, renters, and the Legislature itself were excluded from the drafting process.
“It is deeply concerning that Airbnb and the Congressman’s son had direct input on this legislation while the public and the Legislature were kept in the dark. The County Executive and Congressman Morelle are extremely close politically, and the documents show that Nicholas Morelle—Airbnb’s lobbyist—supplied draft opt-out language to the administration. That’s not how transparent government operates. A multi-billion-dollar corporation should not have a privileged seat at the table when laws affecting taxpayers, homeowners, and renters are being written,” said Barnhrt.
Public and Legislative Oversight Was Shut Out
The administration introduced the opt-out bill as a “Matter of Urgency,” bypassing the committee process entirely. Legislators were given no opportunity to evaluate alternatives or solicit community input. While Airbnb lobbyists had months to shape the bill, the public gets only one hearing—held during the same meeting as the final vote.
Barnhart noted, “Monroe County consulted Airbnb and its lobbyists repeatedly while crafting a law that exempts the company from state-mandated transparency. The Legislature and the public had no comparable access. That is not good governance, and it is not how major policy decisions should be made.”
The Proposed Law Preserves an Opaque, Unverifiable STR System
The opt-out bill maintains the County’s current opaque system and prevents Monroe County from receiving the detailed data other counties will get under the state framework. Under the proposed law:
- STR platforms do not have to provide unit-level data
- Platforms may satisfy reporting requirements simply by providing a link, avoiding formal data submission
- Operators who do not already file voluntary tax returns remain invisible
- The County has no ability to verify the accuracy of taxes remitted
- Monroe County would become the only major upstate county to reject the state’s transparency system
County Executive Bello’s Revenue Claims Are Misleading
The administration has claimed Monroe County will “lose revenue” under the state’s registry. This is false.
The state law does not eliminate the County’s ability to collect occupancy tax. Erie County maintains both a registry and voluntary collection agreements, so it’s possible to do both.
“Whatever one thinks about STRs, we should all agree that laws affecting them should not be written behind closed doors with the corporations that benefit,” Barnhart said. “A countywide registry is about fair taxation, accurate data, and transparency, not punishing hosts.”