B.C.’s new short-term rental rules are in effect Wednesday
Posted May 1, 2024 3:04 pm.
Last Updated May 1, 2024 6:59 pm.
If your Airbnb isn’t your primary residence, you can’t rent it out anymore.
New short-term rental rules impacting businesses such as Airbnb and VRBO are in effect Wednesday in B.C.
The province says it wants to create more housing for people who live here long-term because currently, 19,000 homes in B.C. are on short-term rental platforms.
It also requires platforms to share their data and remove listings that aren’t complying with regulations quickly.
The legislation applies to communities with populations of over 10,000, and smaller municipalities that have opted in, or are designated as resort towns.
However, Nathan Rotman, who speaks for Airbnb says other cities who have brought in similar rules haven’t seen housing prices go down, they’ve only seen hotel prices go up.
“We have seen hotel prices rise 20 per cent year over year for the Christmas season after short-term rentals were no longer an option for people,” he said.
“That’s going to be the impact it has on the economy in British Columbia as well.”
He says the new legislation is unreasonable.
“We’ve always been willing to work with municipalities on local rules to support local enforcement,” he said.
“Doing something on the provincial level where you need two licenses to operate instead of one license is unlike anything else we’ve seen in the world.”
The province says through regulations, the fines for hosts breaking municipal by-law rules will increase to $3,000 from $1,000, per infraction, per day.
The Property Rights Association of BC says it is challenging the legislation in court, saying the province shouldn’t cancel existing contracts between hosts and guests.
BC NDP tabled this legislation in October of last year. Some municipalities with less than 10,000 people can opt into the legislation.
Communities that have agreed to the new rules are Tofino, Kent, Gabriola Island, Bowen Island, Osoyoos, and Pemberton. They will see the new laws come into effect on Nov. 1.
-With files from Kier Junos.
