Victoria council’s recent move to start clamping down on short-term vacation rentals prompted me to do a quick canvas to see what is happening in various cities around B.C. with this issue.
Whoa, was that an eye-opener, to hear about the struggles various towns are going through as they try to strike a balance — not banning STRs completely, but also not allowing them to run amok to the detriment of workforce housing, neighbourhood livability, and a competitive playing field for local hotels and motels.
My story in the Globe on this is here, with updates from Tofino, Nelson, Revelstoke, Victoria on how they’re stepping up regulation, enforcement, and even zoning changes to cope with this.
And, if you’re wondering how this is playing out elsewhere — I just happened to pick up the latest issue of Outside magazine, which also has a story on the impact Airbnb is having on small ski-resort towns. (Crested Butte is the focus here, but others are mentioned.) The story isn’t online yet, and I’m not sure it will be, so if you’re interested in this topic, worth picking up a paper copy.
Powder magazine also ran this little blurb recently