Province to take action towards short term rentals to increase access to housing for many communities in BC

The Province of British Columbia has stepped into the short term rental market, announcing  measures on Monday that will look to reduce the dominance of those housing practices.

An issue that has driven the housing crunch in a number of markets both large and small  across the province.

The issue of Air BnB's and such is not as large an issue in Prince Rupert as it is places such as Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna and other communities on Vancouver Island.

At this point, Prince Rupert's larger issue is a lack of any kind of rental accommodation, with renovictions and delays in building new units the more dominant concerns.

Elsewhere however, the short term rental practice has served to drive higher rents, as well as to bring high levels of homelessness for many communtieis.

"The short-term rental market is creating serious challenges in B.C. and around the world. Operators with multiple listings are taking homes off the long-term market to make big profits while people pay the price – it can’t go on like this. The legislation is comprehensive and designed to target areas with high housing needs. It's strong action and a thoughtful approach to tackle the growing short-term rental challenge and deliver more homes for people.” -- Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Housing. 

The legislation introduced by the Housing Minister is focused on three key elements:

Increasing fines and strengthening tools for local governments; returning more short-term rentals to long-term homes; and establishing provincial rules and enforcement.

Both Prince Rupert and Terrace are included on the list of communities that the pending legislation will be in place, with the two local municipalities also able to use existing bylaws or introduce new ones.

The timeline for the legislation once passed and provided Royal Assent looks as follows:

The entire scope of the new legislation can be reviewed from the introduction of Monday and this backgrounder to the initiative.

More notes related to Housing in the Northwest can be reviewed here. 

Items of interest from the Legislature can be explored here.