Skip to main content
Business

Want to Live With Airbnb’s CEO? Brian Chesky Lists SF Guest Room for Rent

Written by Sophie BearmanPublished Nov. 16, 2022 • 8:48am
Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky speaks onstage during the "Introducing Trips" reveal at Airbnb Open LA on Nov. 17, 2016, in Los Angeles. | Mike Windle/Getty Images

Great news for Airbnb superfans. Not only can you visit San Francisco, but if the timing and booking works out, you can stay in Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky’s home—with him.

Chesky said on Wednesday that he’s gone back to his roots and become a host once again.

“I’m taking photos of this house because I’m going to put it on Airbnb. I live here, so I’ll be here. I did it 15 years ago, and I’ll do it again,” Chesky said in a promotional video released on Wednesday.

The guest room has a queen bed, armchair, desk and two roomy closets. | Courtesy Airbnb

Chesky and his roommate and cofounder Joe Gebbia became Airbnb’s first hosts in October 2007. The duo was looking for a way to make some money for rent, and opened up their San Francisco home on 19 Rausch St. to three guests who were in town for a design conference. 

This time around, the cozy bedroom listed in Chesky's home features mementos nodding to Airbnb’s founding, including a framed copy of the original receipt for an inflatable mattress that Chesky and Gebbia bought in preparation for hosting some 15 years ago.

Today, however, "this is a very nice comfy mattress, so we’ve upgraded,” said Chesky. The listing boasts a "light-filled corner bedroom" with a comfy queen bed and a panoramic view of the Castro. Chesky also has a golden retriever named Sophie.

The suite features personal photos and artifacts from the early days of Airbnb. | Courtesy Airbnb

"My home is near the Mission, Castro, and Noe Valley neighborhoods with plenty of great boutiques, restaurants, and coffee shops," wrote Chesky in the listing. "You’ll be just a short walk from beautiful Dolores Park, Bi-Rite ice cream, and the world famous Tartine bakery for fresh bread and pastries."

Chesky’s announcement is part of a promotion for Airbnb’s Winter Release, which includes new features like Airbnb Setup—which makes it easier to get started as a host on the app—and improved AirCover, including guest identity verification.

“Since the start of the pandemic, 60M people have visited Airbnb to learn more about becoming a host,” Chesky wrote on Twitter. “I hope what we launched today inspires more of them to get started.”

Sophie Bearman can be reached at sophie@sfstandard.com


Dog owners and their dogs walk around Francisco Dog Park in San Francisco’s Russian Hill neighborhood on Friday, July 22, 2022.

Here Are the Bay Area’s Work From Home Hubs, New Data Shows


Security cameras affixed to corner building exterior

San Francisco CVS That Locked Up Soda Will Close; Customer Says Thieves Hit Store Daily


Two men in suits, Xi Jinping and Joe Biden, walk through a garden

Joe Biden and Xi Jinping’s APEC Visit Becomes a Selling Point at This Bay Area Garden


A man in a suit with a red tie is about to speak in front of a mike.

Wells Fargo Plans Major Layoffs in Coming Year, CEO Says


Bill's former logo is seen in its Houston offices. A shadowed person can be seen walking in the right side of the image.

Bay Area Tech Company Slashes Nearly 400 Workers as Part of Year-End Layoff Wave