Silver-spoon Democratic NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani is a longtime Airbnb foe who pushed for the “the abolition of private property” — yet his filthy-rich parents have rented their posh Ugandan compound on the online site for nearly a decade, The Post has learned.
The five-bedroom, four-bathroom villa owned by Columbia University Professor Mahmood Mamdani and Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Mira Nair offers breathtaking views of Lake Victoria and has monkeys traipsing through its lush two acres, according an Airbnb listing active for the last eight years.
The far-from-proletariat estate is a far cry from the everyday Joe their socialist son attempts to portray on the campaign trail – even as he’s come under fire for shamelessly living in a dirt-cheap rent-stabilized apartment in Queens despite his affluent upbringing.
The listing doesn’t reveal the exact address, but it provides a Google Maps image matching the location of the Mamdani family’s gated-compound in the wealthy Buziga Hill area, located outside the capital city of Kampala.
“This space will give you the unique chance to share an artistic home and enjoy the music of nature. The cult film Mississippi Masala was filmed here!” says the listing, referring to the 1991 romantic comedy starring Denzel Washington that Nair directed.
“Birdlife is magnificent here, along with (non-aggressive) monkeys at dawn. Staffed with a veteran housekeeper & gardeners, this home is a rare, art-filled oasis, 20 minutes from downtown Kampala. The space is perfect for group stays and families.”
The compound — where Mamdani celebrated his nuptials to artist Rama Duwaji with a lavish, three-day affair in July – has earned a five-star rating on the short-term rental site, with many guests posting gushing reviews.
Prices are free flowing.
A four-day, three-night stay from Oct. 24-27 can be had for $1021 – or a little over $340 a night. A three-day, two-night Christmas stay from Dec. 23-25 is available for nearly $667 — or $333.45 a night.
The compound is currently available all but 20 days through March — with nine days already booked next month.
Guests have access to a 15-meter, in-ground lap pool, a badminton court, furnished and art-filled bedrooms, and a “verandah” with a long dining table and Indian Tandoor oven that overlooks the lake. Its patio is frequented by trumpeter hornbills.
The grounds are staffed in a manner befitting the patrician class, with two armed security guards who patrol the gated compound nightly, housekeepers, and “an excellent cook in Indian & continental cuisine” who’ll prepare two meals daily for 50,000 Ugandan shillings ($14.35 in U.S. dollars), the posting says.
Not one, but two gardeners maintain “the exquisite gardens, swimming pool, badminton court, table-tennis table,” the listing gushes.
A masseuse name Jessica can provide an hour-long private “aromatherapy” massage for $40.
Laundry services are also available — for $15.
Despite the one-percenter trappings Mamdani enjoys in his native Africa and from which his parents profit, the socialist mayoral candidate is a longtime critic of Airbnb.
He posted on X Jan. 23 that “in the midst of a historic housing crisis, I strongly oppose Airbnb’s legislation to turn thousands of homes into short-term tourist rentals.”
The Queens assemblyman was referring to pending City Council legislation seeking to waive one- and two-family homes from a crackdown NYC put on the industry in 2023 in response to a slew of complaints about rogue Airbnb hosts.
Republican mayoral nominee Curtis Sliwa said the shocking revelation is another example of Mamdani “living two lives” and “dictating to all of us to ‘do as I say, but not as I do.’”
“He’s a trust-fund baby,” Sliwa told The Post. “He grew up very privileged, sheltered, shielded, and he really believes he’s better than everyone else. There’s two standards: standards for all of you, standards for me. And I don’t think in his mind, he has any problem, basically separating the two.”
Among the top NYC labor unions backing Mamdani’s mayoral run is the powerful Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, which opposes Airbnb because of the strain it believes short-term home rentals puts on the hotel industry and union jobs.
However, a super PAC supporting Airbnb – called “Affordable New York” — has spent more than $3.6 million this year helping elect city and state candidates willing to support short-term rentals – including $440,533 directly on ads and other materials opposing Mamdani, records show.
Mamdani’s parents, Nair, 67, and her husband, Mahmood Mamdani, 78, an anti-Israel political theorist, live on the Ugandan estate but also split their time between New York and New Delhi.
A native of Kampala, the 33-year-old mayoral frontrunner moved to New York when he was 7, becoming a U.S citizen in 2018.
The Airnbnb listing currently notes a person named “Delia” as the property’s host, but older reviews thank a woman named “Mira” – likely a reference to Nair – for offering up her home for short-term stays. It’s unclear when the host’s identity was changed on the site.
“Mira’s place was absolutely spectacular,” wrote Molly from New York in a December 2017 review awarding five stars.
“The place is gorgeous, with breathtaking views. We were welcomed with wonderful hospitality and everything was easy. There was water in the rooms, tea readily available, and friendly faces to answer questions. We can’t say enough good things about the place. It was perfect.”
A recent guest said the stay was fantastic — adding “one of the highlights was seeing monkeys running all over the property — such a unique experience!”
But, the person continued, “A few challenges to note: communication with the owner was on the slower side.”
Mamdani’s campaign did not return a request for comment.
Read the full article here
