City vs short term rentals

[69cutlass]

https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/4 ... ntal-units

When adopting short-term rental regulations in 2019, council expressed concerns over the impact the growing short-term rental market would have on the city's long-term rental stock at a time when the rental vacancy rate sat at less than one per cent.

With over 1100 short term rental units it's a wonder why we have a rental shortage.

[strongarm242]

Short term rentals are one of the biggest causes for the lack of affordable housing in this town. It's mind boggling how every level of government can acknowledge and complain about the lack of housing, and the need to build more units, when nothing is really being said about short term rentals. Instead of developers building a bunch of airbnb hotels for wealthy people to park their money, these resources could be better spent building actual homes for people to live in. Several cities in the US have acknowledged the problem and are cracking down on short term rentals because of the havoc they're causing on the housing market. It seems we're further back in the cycle, or we simply need to pull our heads out of our collective arses to see the problem sitting right in front of us.

Just because some guy created an app that lets you easily rent out your home like a hotel room doesn't mean it should be allowed. You can't run a casino, repair shop, or any other kind of business out of your home, so why should you be able to use your home like a hotel? It's also not fair to your neighbors who have to put up with different people coming and going all the time, added vehicles, noise, safety issues, etc. We already have an entire industry devoted to short term accommodations. The city should do the right thing and outright ban airbnb.

[Urban Cowboy]

Short term rentals are one of the biggest causes for the lack of affordable housing in this town. It's mind boggling how every level of government can acknowledge and complain about the lack of housing, and the need to build more units, when nothing is really being said about short term rentals. Instead of developers building a bunch of airbnb hotels for wealthy people to park their money, these resources could be better spent building actual homes for people to live in. Several cities in the US have acknowledged the problem and are cracking down on short term rentals because of the havoc they're causing on the housing market. It seems we're further back in the cycle, or we simply need to pull our heads out of our collective arses to see the problem sitting right in front of us.

Just because some guy created an app that lets you easily rent out your home like a hotel room doesn't mean it should be allowed. You can't run a casino, repair shop, or any other kind of business out of your home, so why should you be able to use your home like a hotel?It's also not fair to your neighbors who have to put up with different people coming and going all the time, added vehicles, noise, safety issues, etc. We already have an entire industry devoted to short term accommodations. The city should do the right thing and outright ban airbnb.

Totally agree.

It's also not fair to hotels, who are obliged to pay taxes/fees that these rentals don't, while being in direct competition with hotels.

[strongarm242]

Short term rentals are one of the biggest causes for the lack of affordable housing in this town. It's mind boggling how every level of government can acknowledge and complain about the lack of housing, and the need to build more units, when nothing is really being said about short term rentals. Instead of developers building a bunch of airbnb hotels for wealthy people to park their money, these resources could be better spent building actual homes for people to live in. Several cities in the US have acknowledged the problem and are cracking down on short term rentals because of the havoc they're causing on the housing market. It seems we're further back in the cycle, or we simply need to pull our heads out of our collective arses to see the problem sitting right in front of us.

Just because some guy created an app that lets you easily rent out your home like a hotel room doesn't mean it should be allowed. You can't run a casino, repair shop, or any other kind of business out of your home, so why should you be able to use your home like a hotel?It's also not fair to your neighbors who have to put up with different people coming and going all the time, added vehicles, noise, safety issues, etc. We already have an entire industry devoted to short term accommodations. The city should do the right thing and outright ban airbnb.

Totally agree.

It's also not fair to hotels, who are obliged to pay taxes/fees that these rentals don't, while being in direct competition with hotels.

I agree. You would think if nothing else the city would be all over it due to the reduced tax revenue.

[69cutlass]

Short term rentals are one of the biggest causes for the lack of affordable housing in this town. It's mind boggling how every level of government can acknowledge and complain about the lack of housing, and the need to build more units, when nothing is really being said about short term rentals. Instead of developers building a bunch of airbnb hotels for wealthy people to park their money, these resources could be better spent building actual homes for people to live in. Several cities in the US have acknowledged the problem and are cracking down on short term rentals because of the havoc they're causing on the housing market. It seems we're further back in the cycle, or we simply need to pull our heads out of our collective arses to see the problem sitting right in front of us.

Just because some guy created an app that lets you easily rent out your home like a hotel room doesn't mean it should be allowed. You can't run a casino, repair shop, or any other kind of business out of your home, so why should you be able to use your home like a hotel? It's also not fair to your neighbors who have to put up with different people coming and going all the time, added vehicles, noise, safety issues, etc. We already have an entire industry devoted to short term accommodations. The city should do the right thing and outright ban airbnb.

[Even Steven]

I live next to AirBNBs. Never had any problems with noise or safety.

[Mtn Biker]

It's also not fair to hotels, who are obliged to pay taxes/fees that these rentals don't, while being in direct competition with hotels.

I have no sympathy for hotels. They have been over charging for ever and this is one of the reasons the short term rental market is growing. As a traveler would you want to pay $200 plus a night for a 300sqft room with a microwave and fridge, or the same amount for a suite, full kitchen, and no neighbors or noise, probably in a great spot too. Then there is the whole idea of telling folks what they can and can't do with their property. I would much rather rent my space for $150 per night, for 10 nights a month, than $1500 per month and have someone there fulltime. I will take the 10 days, thanks.

[GordonH]

I live next to AirBNBs. Never had any problems with noise or safety.

All it takes is few bad apples to spoil the entire barrel.

[ORWELL]

you do your best due diligence - investigate a neighbourhood before buying, the zoning, even visit again in the evenings to ensure it's not a mad max beyond thunderdome after the sun goes down...

now the fact we are slapping up chipboard shacks as fast as we can to meet a self inflicted housing crisis is so painfully laughable

on new builds - builders selling parking min required parking spots back to the cities and then let the local residents duke it out for a parking spot, a few years ago it was 17k per spot not sure what the $$ is today. The money to be spent anywhere in the city.. including no where near the project

meetings are being held, donuts and sandwiches are being served, people are getting bonuses based on their solutions to this 'crisis'

but hey... the Empty Homes Tax does is so much more effective in getting people into homes than releasing all the short term rental units back into the pool

wonder how much the EHT costs to run vs how much it adds to the housing crisis relief? return of investment of our money..

[BC Landlord]

Short term rentals are one of the biggest causes for the lack of affordable housing in this town.

That's a myth. The lack of rental housing supply is due to prospective landlords' reluctance to offer their properties on the LTR market, in the light of government's over-regulation and slanted RTBs. Anyone thinking that if the government somehow shut down all STRs, they would become available on the LTR market is delusional.

[Even Steven]

All it takes is few bad apples to spoil the entire barrel.

I've had more problems with long term renters who are basically unmovable. They'll trash their yards , sell drugs out of their units, have parties - and there's nothing you can do about it. Kicking out unruly airbnb guests is easy as pie.

[69cutlass]

Short term rentals are one of the biggest causes for the lack of affordable housing in this town.

That's a myth. The lack of rental housing supply is due to prospective landlords' reluctance to offer their properties on the LTR market, in the light of government's over-regulation and slanted RTBs. Anyone thinking that if the government somehow shut down all STRs, they would become available on the LTR market is delusional.

Both are needed to fix this problem. The rta needs to be fair to both sides. And str need to be restricted to rooms in and or primary residence.

[one wheel]

I don't have an ounce of faith in our Council doing anything about the STR problem because it involves large-scale commercial operators.
The problem was known but has been kicked aside by using the pandemic as an excuse.
Big business & making money rules Kelowna.

[BC Landlord]

Shutting down STRs is next to impossible. Just because someone is advertising his property on AirBnB doesn't mean a squat. Unless they (The City) have a solid proof of a transaction been made (money and services exchanged) they would be laughed out of court.

[strongarm242]

Short term rentals are one of the biggest causes for the lack of affordable housing in this town.

That's a myth. The lack of rental housing supply is due to prospective landlords' reluctance to offer their properties on the LTR market, in the light of government's over-regulation and slanted RTBs. Anyone thinking that if the government somehow shut down all STRs, they would become available on the LTR market is delusional.

No it's not a myth. If they can't operate these units as STR's or LTR's they can sell the place to someone who needs a home. There is absolutely no justification to allow STR's. I see so many of these condo projects where individuals and numbered companies are purchasing multiple units with only the intention of using them as airbnb's. This completely undermines our housing market and is creating the housing shortage. If developer's weren't allowed to build airbnb hotels they would then build purpose built LTR buildings or condo builds for people who actually need a home. All of these subtrades, equipment, and materials being used up to build airbnb hotels could be used to help build forever homes. The only people opposed to this are the ones making money off what is essentially a black market economy that should've never been allowed in the first place.