NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. – In an open letter, a group of civil rights, clergy and business leaders condemned the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council (HTC) and Tenants Not Tourists for what they called a “racist and coded” advertising campaign against Airbnb. The letter accused the groups of using racially charged imagery to incite fear about short-term rentals.
According to the letter, the ad appeared in the Bronx Times and depicted “the back of a Black man in a hoodie and cap, holding a suitcase outside a brownstone,” alongside the caption: “Airbnb says its safety checks may not reveal criminal activity. Do you want them next door?” The group stated this imagery “carries significant racial undertones,” arguing that the language and visuals promote fear and bias toward Black men.
The signatories wrote that they have “seen those tropes executed time after time” and accused the campaign of weaponizing stereotypes to sway public opinion.
They also noted that “this particular ad checks off every box on the coded stereotype checklist,” adding that its placement in the Bronx made it “even more alarming.”
While the letter acknowledged differing opinions on short-term rental laws, the group emphasized that disagreement does not justify “misleading and racist scare tactics.” The authors expressed concern that groups like HTC and Tenants Not Tourists would approve such messaging, calling it “gross hypocrisy.”
The letter concluded by urging both HTC and Tenants Not Tourists to “end this campaign immediately and issue a full and genuine apology,” stressing that such language and imagery “have no place in New York City,” especially at a time when marginalized groups face increasing hostility across the country.
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