A Victoria business that provides hosting services for short-term rentals has signed on to be the representative party in a legal petition seeking to invalidate some of the provisions in the incoming provincewide restrictions on the units.

B次元官网网址淎s it stands right now, if no changes are made, it completely decimates us,B次元官网网址� Angela Mason, of Amala Rental Solutions Ltd., said of the impact the new law will have on her business when it goes into effect on May 1.

The stated purpose of B.C.B次元官网网址檚 Short-Term Rental Accommodation Act is to return units to the long-term rental market by limiting short-term rentals B次元官网网址� excluding hotel and motel rooms B次元官网网址� to a hostB次元官网网址檚 principal residence and one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit.

This essentially means many, if not all, of the units Amala provides hosting services for will become illegal under the new rules. Her business does the cleaning, client communication and other tasks for owners of units in a three block radius of her Pandora Street storefront in downtown Victoria.

Amala has already had to let go of most of their staff, going from 36 workers down to 10, Mason said.

B次元官网网址淪ome of these people have been with us for, like, four or five years,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淎nd these folks have worked tirelessly.B次元官网网址�

The suit is being brought by Amala in concert with a group called the West Coast Association for Property Rights, and the costs are being borne jointly by a group of property owners affected by the law. Because Amala is a business that hosts for about 100 short-term rentals, and Mason owns one unit herself, the group has filed the petition under her name.

B次元官网网址淚 was asked if I wanted to be representative for a single property owner, and then also if I wanted to be represented for businesses,B次元官网网址� Mason said of the arrangement.

The arguments against the new regulations range from justifications based on common-law property rights as outlined by the Magna Carta in the year 1215, to modern case law with precedents in which it was ruled that disallowing an owner of property to use that property counts as expropriation, and that expropriation cannot happen without compensation.

So, the arguments are attempting to first establish that not allowing owners of units to do what they want with them is a violation of property rights, and failing that, arguing the owners of those units should be given compensation if their right to use them as they wish is taken away.

The provincial government would not comment on the case specifically, but did provide a statement about the new regulations.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e taking action to reign in short-term rentals and turn more units back into homes for people,B次元官网网址� says a statement from a housing ministry spokesperson. B次元官网网址淭he provinceB次元官网网址檚 principal-residence requirement for short-term rentals will go into effect as planned in many B.C. communities on May 1, 2024.B次元官网网址�

The City of Victoria is also named in the filing, and a spokesperson said the cityB次元官网网址檚 legal team reviewing the petition and will respond in accordance with the rules of the court.

Mason would like to see illegally operating units dealt with, but said the units her company serves are owned by people who have always played by the rules, and shouldnB次元官网网址檛 be punished for that.

If the petition fails, she doesnB次元官网网址檛 have an idea of what the path forward for her business could be.

B次元官网网址淢y business, as I know it today, is done,B次元官网网址� she said.

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