Mamdani’s Ugandan Estate on Airbnb Draws Scrutiny as NYC Mayoral Hopeful Promotes Socialist Stance

A New York Post investigation raises questions about the consistency of Democratic New York City mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, who has long criticized Airbnb, while his parents’ Ugandan estate has been listed on the short-term rental site for roughly eight years. The report highlights a tension between the platform Mamdani has characterized as problematic in the housing crisis and the family property that appears to benefit from the very model he has criticized.

The property at the center of the allegations is a five-bedroom, four-bath villa on Buziga Hill just outside Kampala, overlooking Lake Victoria. The listing describes expansive grounds, a pool, a verandah with a long dining table, and views of the lake that are among the estate’s selling points. The owners are Mahmood Mamdani, a Columbia University professor, and Mira Nair, an Academy Award-nominated filmmaker. The listing claims the space is ideal for group stays and families and notes the presence of a staff of at least one housekeeper and gardeners. A fenced, gated compound is described as secure, with a pair of armed guards reported to patrol the grounds nightly. Guests are said to be able to arrange two meals daily for a fee calculated in Ugandan shillings, with current exchange values translating to modest sums in U.S. dollars.

The villa’s listing includes references to cultural touchstones associated with the property, including the film Mississippi Masala, directed by Nair, and birdlife and other natural features described as part of the experience. The listing also notes a few luxuries, such as a 15-meter lap pool, a badminton court, and an in-ground garden-ready setup that includes a table-tennis area and a kitchen with a round table. A verandah overlooks the lake, and guests can access a private “aromatherapy” massage for a fee. The property is described as staffed to accommodate relatively large groups, with reviews that emphasize hospitality and scenic views.

Two images in the Post package illustrate the estate’s sequestered setting and lush grounds, underscoring how a property of this kind sits at the periphery of a campaign that is increasingly defined by debates over housing, property, and the regulation of short-term rentals.

The listing is described as having been active for eight years, and its host identity has shifted over time. The current listing notes a person named “Delia” as the host, though older guest reviews reference Mira Nair, suggesting a possible change in hosting identity. In one 2017 review, a guest praised the property as “spectacular” with “breathtaking views” and noted that the stay benefited from attentive hospitality. A more recent review described monkeys roaming the property as a standout attraction, while also noting that communication with the owner could be slower at times. The evolving host identity appears to track the broader travel-and-property footprint of the Mamdani-Nair family across multiple continents.

Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old Queens-based assemblyman who recently emerged as a frontrunner in the city’s Democratic primary for mayor, is a longtime Airbnb opponent. In a January 23 post on X, he criticized Airbnb’s legislative efforts to expand short-term rentals, arguing that such policies worsen New York’s housing crisis by turning homes into tourist accommodations. That stance stands in contrast to the family’s Ugandan estate, which has been listed on Airbnb for eight years and described as a “rare, art-filled oasis” with staffed services that could be seen as indicative of a different standard of living than the one Mamdani advocates for residents facing rent burdens in New York.

The juxtaposition has become a point of controversy within the broader mayoral race. Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa labeled Mamdani a “trust-fund baby” who embodies a “two standards” approach to life and public policy. Sliwa argued that Mamdani’s upbringing contradicts his calls for greater housing protections and for limiting private ownership of property in practice, though he offered little detail beyond the Post’s reporting to illustrate how the two realities might diverge in policy terms. The exchange highlights a larger political dynamic in New York City: candidates’ confrontations over the role of private property, rental markets, and the impact of short-term rentals on long-term housing affordability.

Within the campaign landscape, Mamdani has drawn support from several major labor unions in New York, including the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, which has opposed Airbnb in the past due to concerns about hotel-industry jobs and the impact of short-term rentals on workforce stability. At the same time, a pro-Airbnb super PAC, Affordable New York, has reported spending more than $3.6 million this year to influence city and state races, including about $440,533 directly on ads and related expenditures that oppose Mamdani. The group’s spending underscores how national debates on platform economies and housing policy intersect with local elections that will shape the city’s approach to zoning, housing supply, and the regulation of short-term rentals.

Mamdani’s parents, Mira Nair and Mahmood Mamdani, split time between multiple homes, including the Ugandan estate and residences in New York and New Delhi. Nair, 67, and Mahmood Mamdani, 78, have public reputations in the art-and-academic worlds that contrast with the street-level policy battles Mamdani has pursued as a candidate. Mamdani moved to New York at age seven and became a U.S. citizen in 2018, long before launching his mayoral campaign. He and his spouse, artist Rama Duwaji, celebrated a high-profile wedding in July with a three-day celebration, a detail cited to illustrate the family’s high-profile social and cultural footprint beyond politics.

The marketplace listing’s host label has shifted over time, and the property’s perceived exclusivity is part of the broader discourse about wealth, privilege, and public accountability in a campaign that hinges on housing policy. A separate set of details from the listing emphasizes staffing arrangements—two armed guards on the grounds, two meals daily prepared by a cook, and a staff of housekeepers and gardeners—as well as a suite of luxury amenities that foreground a living standard well outside the ordinary experience of many New Yorkers facing rent burdens. Whether that contrast will influence voters’ views on Mamdani’s political platform remains an open question as the campaign continues to unfold.

Campaign representatives did not respond to requests for comment regarding the Post’s reporting on the Ugandan estate and its Airbnb listing, as is common in the early stages of coverage on high-profile political races. In the meantime, the episode has prompted renewed attention to the tension between a politician’s stated policy goals and the personal circumstances and assets of the people who finance or benefit from those assets. The broader context includes ongoing debates about housing rights, the regulation of short-term rentals, and how public officials balance personal circumstances with public accountability in a city where housing affordability remains a defining issue for voters.

As the race for New York City mayor progresses, observers will be watching how Mamdani addresses questions about wealth, private property, and housing policy in the weeks ahead. The candidate’s team has not issued a comment on the details of the Uganda estate listing or the broader implications for his campaign, leaving an as-yet unresolved narrative about consistency between rhetoric and lived experience in a candidate who has positioned himself as a progressive voice in a city grappling with an acute housing crisis.