Vancouver group voices concern over short-term rentals ahead of public hearing
Posted October 22, 2017 8:06 am.
Last Updated October 22, 2017 8:07 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The public is set to have its say on the future of short-term rental rules in this city.
A public hearing on Tuesday will allow you to weigh in on a proposed bylaw which would require people operating short-term rental units through sites like AirBnB to get a licence, among other restrictions.
Ulrike Rodrigues with the “Homes Not Hotels” Facebook group says she is largely supportive of the proposed bylaw but has some concerns about enforcement.
“I didn’t see a lot of specific mention addressing evidence and enforcement of multiple-unit buildings, such as rental and condo buildings, so I want to make sure that that’s clarified.”
Related Article: ‘Fairbnb’ addresses Vancouver’s proposed short-term rental bylaw
The bylaw would limit short-term rentals to only primary residences. AirBnB has previously said about 80 percent of users in Vancouver fit into that category.
“If somebody’s using an AirBnb like website platform to run, basically, a hotel-like business in residential housing, then I believe that shouldn’t be allowed.”
According to a study by McGill University, only a small number of large commercial property owners are the most successful on Airbnb and are eating up the local supply of housing in Canada’s three largest cities.
The research focused on Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto, and found there was a 50 per cent increase in the number of short-term rental properties year over year.
Meanwhile, the head of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., believes short-term rental companies like Airbnb and Vacation Rental By Owner could help increase the rental supply in the country and, in turn, possibly reduce rents.
