Vancouver is gearing up this week to deal with Airbnb, with Councillor Geoff Meggs spearheading a motion to have staff get more aggressive about getting information from the company and about getting information on the impacts.
It’s a popular move for many. Landlords, strata councils, neighbours, housing advocates and more are all worried about the impact of having all residential areas turning into scattered hotel sites.
But there are also local Airbnb hosts who are worried about an impending crackdown, saying that what they’re doing doesn’t take away renter housing and that it adds life and a financial benefit to their communities. Those who only rent a spare bedroom or who only rent out their places while they are out of town especially feel strongly that they are providing a benefit that doesn’t take away from the local housing stock.
Their story here.