How to pick a short-term rental lobbyist

An important part of running a vacation rental alliance is advocating for reasonable regulations and defending against oppressive restrictions. But as busy professionals, alliance leaders can’t be everywhere at once. Having a lobbyist to be your eyes and ears and to represent your interests at City Hall or the state Legislature can be an effective way to stay on top of political maneuverings that could affect STRs in your community.

What is a lobbyist?

“A lobbyist is anyone who influences a legislator or policy with an elected official,” said Tiffany Edwards, a strategic government affairs consultant for several short-term rental organizations, during a panel on political action, lobbying, and fundraising at the Spring 2023 RR Summit: People, Places, Planet. “So anyone who’s spoken to an elected official is a lobbyist, but there are just different clarifications and definitions as to what a lobbyist is in terms of state statute and registering.”

A properly vetted professional lobbyist can be a valuable tool within the political arena.

Lobbyists can provide you with access to decision-makers, knowledge about behind-the-scenes politics, and policy proposals, Tiffany said. They are typically bipartisan, meaning they are not affiliated with one political party.

“A lot of people will criticize or vilify lobbyists,” said Rolf Blizzard, managing partner of Atlantic Realty of Outer Banks and a former lobbyist for the state chamber of commerce in North Carolina. “I think they are the essential lubricant in the legislative system. Lobbyists are extremely effective at bringing people together of different backgrounds and different mindsets [to find commonalities].”

Outline your vacation rental alliance’s lobbying goals

Before you launch your search, define your organization’s goals and objectives that you hope to achieve through hiring a lobbyist. What specific issues do you want to address? Is your local government considering a ban on short-term rentals? Is there a push to make short-term rentals comply with commercial building code? Is there a statewide bill that would give cities more or less authority to regulate short-term rentals? All of these could be potential issues you want to address and could influence your decision on which lobbyist to choose.

Keep in mind that even if there are no looming regulatory changes on the horizon, having a lobbyist can be a great way to build relationships with decision-makers and stay in the know about any political developments.

RR SUMMIT REPLAY: Unlock Your Impact: Fundraising, Lobbying, and Political Engagement

Consider your budget

Professional lobbyists are expensive. They can cost thousands of dollars per month, and the price can vary by geographic region.

The cost may preclude your organization from going solo in hiring a lobbyist. If your organization can’t afford its own lobbyist, here are some alternative options:

Join a coalition

Another option is to join a larger coalition of organizations that have similar political interests. For example, the North Carolina Tourism and Travel Coalition – which includes vacation rental property management companies like Atlantic Realty of Outer Banks – hires lobbyists to represent its members’ common interests, Rolf said.

Partner with a vacation rental booking platform

Platforms like Vrbo and Airbnb have their own lobbyists which they will often deploy to help hosts or property managers advocate for themselves when city councils or state legislatures are making regulations on short-term rentals. Vrbo, for example, offers Vrbo Advocates with policy solutions for common vacation rental issues and contact information for its governmental affairs division.

Be your own lobbyist

While uniting forces with a platform or coalition can work great in certain circumstances, it’s not always the best choice for short-term rental alliances.

“It’s important for alliances to know that the lobbyists hired by other entities represent those entities first and foremost. So, if and when there’s a difference in objectives and priorities, those lobbyists will serve their clients first,” said Alexa Nota, Chief Operations Officer at Rent Responsibly.

“Our advice to alliances is to never rely solely on other entities’ lobbyists and instead always be your own or hire one if you can,” she added. “We also stress working collaboratively with other entities like the platforms or other associations on a coordinated effort to, at a minimum, not step on each other’s toes.”

Search for potential lobbyist candidates

Rolf suggested starting with the decision-makers themselves. Ask your local lawmakers which lobbyists they listen to.

Talk to the leadership at your local chamber of commerce or tourism board to find out which lobbyists have been effective for them. Contact Expedia Group or other vacation rental groups that have hired lobbyists to find out if they can recommend any lobbyists in your area.

Assess their lobbying experience, expertise, and connections

Lobbyists who specialize in short-term rental issues might not be plentiful in your area. An alternative might be lobbyists who have worked on issues related to tourism or property rights.

Look for a willingness to learn

Subject knowledge, however, isn’t as important as a willingness to learn about short-term rentals and to understand your goals and objectives, Rolf said.

“I look for a workhorse, not a show pony, and somebody who also is willing to put in the time to understand our industry,” Rolf said. “There are a lot of lobbyists and power guns out there that will tell you what they need to do. I think it’s important for them to understand and be intellectually curious about how our industry operates and willing to put the time into learning about our industry.”

Talk to the clients of lobbyists you’re considering and ask about their experiences with them. Most states have a lobbyist registration website where you can look up their names and the clients they represent.

Look for lobbyists who have good emotional intelligence but aren’t overly emotional, Rolf said.

“You want someone who is more even-keeled who can help you look at all sides of the issue,” he said.

Consider their political connections and broader network

A good lobbyist has a deep network of connections – not just one direct communication line to a key policymaker.

“If they’re a good lobbyist, they’re typically extremely well connected both with policymakers and staff but then also know the other key stakeholders in the community who actually then influence policymakers,” said Noah Stewart, senior public affairs specialist for Expedia Group, during the summit panel. “Think about who this policymaker is going to actually get their opinion from. Who is their source of truth? A lot of good lobbyists will know who those people are.”

Stay local

If possible, find a lobbyist that is already known in the community. Bringing in an outsider – even if they are a skilled lobbyist – will not have the same power to connect with local policymakers as someone who is familiar with and to the local community.

“You just have to be very careful about who you have coming in there to represent you because people can very easily get the wrong idea,” Noah said. “If your group is going for the perception that you’re a mom-and-pop industry and then you come in with an $8,000-a-month lobbyist, you can give the wrong perception.”

Stay involved in advocacy

Hiring a lobbyist can make you and your organization more effective in advocacy. However, a lobbyist is not a substitute for your active engagement in advocacy. Policymakers still need to see your face, hear your personal stories from operators, and understand how you contribute to the community and the local economy.

“A good lobbyist will exercise good judgment on when to bring you to the table,” Rolf said. “And I think if they just tried to not bring you to the table at any point, that would be a red flag for me.”

Bonus Tip: Consider a specialist package

To supercharge your alliance efforts even more, sometimes you can find a lobbyist as a package deal with litigation experts and tax experts. For example, the North Carolina Tourism Coalition hired a law firm that has lobbyists and litigation experts on staff who can help their clients draft legislation, Rolf said.

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