BC Real Estate Association calls for review on short-term rental laws

The BC Real Estate Association is calling for a measured approach to the clamp-down on short-term rentals as the provincial election approaches.

The association says it conducted an analysis to identify business and tourism sectors affected by the change.

Association Vice President Trevor Hargreaves tells 1130 NewsRadio there needs to be some exemptions and not what he calls a blanket ban.

He says those exemptions could help people who have to stay in Vancouver while they receive specialized medical treatment like chemotherapy, film sector workers in town for weeks at a time, people who need short-term housing while they look for a long-term home and people attending or employed by short-term but large events for which hotel space is inadequate — like the Taylor Swift concerts or the FIFA World Cup events coming to Vancouver.

Hargreaves notes that industries outside major city centres are also feeling the effects of the restrictions.

“High tourism areas and across the Okanagan have felt similar pain, and they’re really pointing to the fact that the lack of short-term rental availability has been a problem for people that tend to visit summer over summer,” He said.

Hargreaves says there are many situations in which a unit should be a long-term rental — but says the legislation was put in without proper consultation with owners, municipalities, and other industry representatives.

“They would go through those processes in a more thorough way. First, you would get much stronger outcomes, I think, in the aftermath, and spare some of the problems and amendments that tend to be necessary when new legislation is announced.”

While he applauds the previous BC NDP government’s commitment to finding solutions to the housing crisis, he says it ought to be treated as both a national and provincial crisis.

“We want to be assuring strong outcomes when it comes to new legislation, strong outcomes means careful consideration and consultation outside of government, that’s meeting with mayors, and with city staff,” he said.

He’s urging parties on both sides of the debate to take things slowly after the election but says a one-size-fits all approach isn’t working so far.