Shadow HOA Grants ‘Local Status’ Through Airbnb Loyalty Program
BOZEMAN - A mysterious new “Airbnb Citizenship Program” is reportedly offering wealthy parttime residents a fast track to local status, no residency required.
According to Poser sources, the Shadow HOA, an invitation-only network of short-term rental owners, is granting “Bozeman Local” privileges to anyone operating three or more Airbnbs within city limits. Members allegedly receive a complimentary cowboy hat tattoo, a free dog, and a framed commemorative DUI plaque.
City officials claim to have “no knowledge of any such organization.” But residents have spotted Shadow HOA newsletters containing city planning maps weeks before public release, with arrows pointing to family homes labeled “acquisition targets.” Insiders describe a secret induction ritual involving a YETI mug, a Stone Glacier vest, and a rehearsed story about finding Bozeman before it changed.
“You don’t have to live here anymore,” said one longtime resident. “Just buy three Airbnbs and tell people you ‘miss the old Bozeman.’”
The Shadow HOA did not respond to requests for comment, but their newsletter tagline says it all: “We’re not from here. We just own here.
