B.C.B次元官网网址檚 housing minister seemed unpersuaded on Wednesday (March 13) of an effort to delay the short-term rental crackdown in the capital city until after the peak tourism season.
Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto is bringing a motion forward on Thursday asking the province to delay the implementation Bill 35 to Nov. 1. That legislation comes into effect on May 1 and aims to stem the growing wave of homes being used as short-term rentals, through sites like Airbnb and VRBO.
While Alto stood, literally and figuratively, with Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon as the short-term rental measures were announced last fall, Victoria council has been lobbied by property owners ever since to push against and water down the new rules.
When asked about AltoB次元官网网址檚 motion on Wednesday, Kahlon said people are struggling to access housing in Victoria right now.
Most people would ask why the province has taken so long to initiate the new regulations, the minister added, noting the May 1 date looked to give owners time to move their property into the long-term market or sell them.
B次元官网网址淧eople are struggling and we need to make sure that housing is available for people right away in our communities,B次元官网网址� Kahlon said.
B次元官网网址淲e desperately need to provide more housing opportunities so we can attract the health-care workers, the teachers, the firefighters that we all need in our communities.B次元官网网址�
While Victoria already had a short-term rental bylaw, the provincial legislation impacts around 1,600 legal non-conforming units in the city. Legal non-conforming units are mainly condos in buildings that had grandfathered-in exemptions from the bylaw B次元官网网址� allowing them to enter the short-term market at any time unless the province amended its legislation.
Last December, Victoria council unanimously voted to cancel a planned $1,000-hike that non-principal short-term rental operators B次元官网网址� ones who donB次元官网网址檛 live in the unit theyB次元官网网址檙e listing B次元官网网址� wouldB次元官网网址檝e paid for their annual licence fee. Several councillors said at the time that the move would be fair as operators would only be in business for four months this year.
Bill 35 will bar non-principal operators in Victoria as it limits short-term rentals to principal residences and one additional unit per property. At least 42 per cent of the licences are held by operators who donB次元官网网址檛 live in Victoria, according to the city.
When asked about potential impacts to tourism in the capital as people are pushed to use traditional stays like hotels, Kahlon countered that the provincial legislation merely reinforced VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 existing bylaw.
AltoB次元官网网址檚 motion, which is co-sponsored by Coun. Stephen Hammond, states the May 1 date will adversely affect STR hosts and says local accommodations often exceed supply during the tourism B次元官网网址渉igh season.B次元官网网址�
After the legislation was announced, Destination Greater Victoria told Black Press Media it was pleased with the move as multiple new hotels are in the works. The tourism agency said Wednesday it could not provide comment as its CEO was out town.
B次元官网网址淭he accommodation sector can manage the volume of visitors coming to the region without short-term rentals,B次元官网网址� Destination Greater Victoria CEO Paul Nursey said in an October 2023 statement. B次元官网网址淐ommercial transient accommodation is for travellers. Housing is for homes.B次元官网网址�
Previous discussions on the short-term rental legislation in Victoria saw some councillors saying operators were having their businesses ripped out from under them, while others said those people chose to invest in a highly volatile market thatB次元官网网址檚 subject to regulation from various levels of government.
B次元官网网址� With a report from Wolfgang Depner
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