By Darryl Greer
The provincewide registry goals to step up enforcement towards operators that don’t adjust to short-term rental laws, Kahlon mentioned throughout a information convention on Monday.
“We consider houses are for individuals and never for hypothesis, and this registry will enable us to take the enforcement to the subsequent step,” he mentioned.
Kahlon mentioned all short-term rental operators on platforms equivalent to Airbnb and Vrbo should apply for a registration quantity to be displayed on all on-line listings by Could 1, and hosts who fail to conform could have their listings taken down beginning June 1.
There may even be annual registration charges, starting from $100 for hosts who stay on the property, $450 for many who stay elsewhere, and $600 for so-called strata resorts.
He mentioned rents have come down within the province and extra long-term leases have turn out to be out there.
Issues about impacts on tourism on account of a short-term rental crackdown had been overblown, the minister mentioned.
“Folks nonetheless need to go to B.C. Folks nonetheless need to stay in B.C.,” he mentioned.
Kahlon mentioned that the province is giving a 50% low cost to operators who join by Feb. 28, and a 25% low cost in the event that they register by March 31.
The ministry mentioned the provincial registry comes on high of short-term rental guidelines set out by municipalities, together with assembly enterprise licence necessities.
Kahlon mentioned the province’s registry information can be shared with the finance ministry and native governments, to “elevate the extent of enforcement” towards house owners who break guidelines on short-term leases.
Vancouver Metropolis Coun. Lenny Zhou instructed the information convention the registry is a “welcome step” as “housing affordability continues to be a high precedence” for the town.
Zhou mentioned housing is without doubt one of the “most urgent points” going through communities in the present day, calling the registry a “step ahead in guaranteeing that houses stay out there for individuals who stay and work in our metropolis.”
He mentioned short-term leases supplied on platforms equivalent to Airbnb and Vrbo fill a task in addressing resort room shortages, however he mentioned it was “equally necessary” to stability these wants with residential housing.
“For too lengthy, we’ve struggled to handle the challenges posed by non-compliant operators within the short-term rental market,” Zhou mentioned. “This (has) made it tough to make sure that housing stays out there for many who need to name Vancouver dwelling.”
He mentioned the brand new provincial registry will assist goal “unhealthy actors extra successfully.”
On the similar time, Zhou mentioned it encourages extra Vancouver householders to contemplate providing long-term leases, easing the stress on our housing market.
This report by The Canadian Press was first printed Jan. 20, 2025.
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Final modified: January 20, 2025
