The provincial government gave final approval Thursday to legislation that will regulate the short-term rental market across the province.
It rejected amendments proposed by the B.C. United opposition that would have narrowed the definition and number of accommodations that need to be registered, and would have allowed for exemptions to free up short-term rental spaces for medical travel, major conferences, and sporting events.
The new law will increase fines for non-compliance. It will also require all providers of short-term rental accommodation to provide principal residence information to a provincial registry, which comes into effect in 2024.
“The B.C. government has a strong opinion in regards to where the short-term rental industry stands and it being a problem for the affordability crisis,” said Jordan Deyrmenjian, founder of Vancouver-based Artin Propertie, which manages 160 short-term rentals across Metro Vancouver.
Deyrmenjian had been supportive of the proposed opposition amendments, especially one that aimed to change the province’s definition of a short-term rental from being less than 90 days to the one currently used by many municipalities, which is less than 30 days.
He also was in favour of adding a clause to allow a “designated major event accommodation area” in the City of Vancouver that would be exempt from short-term rental regulations during specific dates, such as when major concerts, large conferences and sporting competitions are happening.
B.C. United leader Kevin Falcon said the party has heard from many people who rely on short-term rentals for various reasons, including nurses and doctors who spend one or two months in communities across B.C., including Vancouver, for work. Falcon said the film industry will be “hammered” by the policy because there will be a fewer short-term rentals for film crews.
He also said 2026 FIFA World Cup fans will now face the prospect of $1,200-a-night hotel rooms.
No specific geographic area was outlined in the proposal for the clause, and there were many other questions as to how it would logistically work.
“Aside from the fact that there are few major events that would require thousands of additional units or make it worthwhile for the property owner, it wouldn’t be practical to displace long-term tenants to accommodate short-term visitors for a major event like FIFA World Cup,” said Walt Judas, CEO of the Tourism Industry Association of B.C.
“We’ve lost over 1,000 hotel rooms in the downtown core in recent years, so, yes, more hotel rooms are needed to meet the demand, particularly for major events and conferences now and in future. At the same time, delegates or event attendees will still have several options for places to stay, including hotels, motels, campgrounds, RV parks and short-term rentals, which will still be permitted to operate throughout the city.”
The B.C. Hotel Association directed queries to Thoben Wieditz of Fairbnb Canada, a coalition of homeowners, tenants and tourism businesses.
Wieditz said in places like Toronto the existence of commercial short-term rentals has lowered the appetite of investors to build hotel inventory, which should always be the preferred local economic development strategy.
“We have also heard from folks like Tourism Toronto that it’s impossible to plan large events, be these sports events or conferences, based on Airbnb inventory. The reason for this is that Airbnbs come and go. People sell units. People occupy units, move on etc. What is available today may not be available when you need them. I would think that the (proposed) regulations, as they stand, provide ample opportunity for legal hosts who rent out their principal residences to make good money during these events as they don’t have to compete with ‘ghost’ hotels that are commercial hosts and operators.”
— With files from Katie DeRosa, Vancouver Sun
