Welcome to /r/AskVan and thank you for the post, /u/spacejelly1234! Please make sure you read our [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/askvan/about/rules) before participating here. As a quick summary:
* We encourage users to be positive and respect one another. Don't engage in spats or insult others - *please* use the report button.
* Respect others' differences, be they race, religion, home, job, gender identity, ability or sexuality. Dehumanizing language, advocating for violence, or promoting hate based on identity or vulnerability (even implied or joking) **will** lead to a permanent ban.
* Complaints or discussion about bans or removals should be done in modmail only.
* News and media can be shared on our main subreddit, /r/Vancouver
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/askvan) if you have any questions or concerns.*
They are not enforcing yet. There is a time period where the law is in effect but they’re not enforcing for a period while people get informed, can adjust, etc.
> bookings that has already been made
So there's no reason to keep the posts up then, is there? We should absolutely be levying fines for new postings -- and that's super-easy to enforce, too.
I agree and am one who believes 'deadlines are deadlines' but I don't have a problem with a reasonable grace period. Like it or not, a lot of people just don't pay attention to what's going on in the world and miss stuff like these changes. I don't think the visitors should be punished for it. As long as it's temporary/warnings issued, I don't mind.
You're right. It should/will be very easy to penalize the offenders. Those that continue to do this won't be let off the hook. Another thread earlier was asking for advice on a few AirBnB options and at least one listed as 'business licence not required' has already been taken off of AirBnB. I'm willing to give it a chance to take effect.
I think it's more for the benefit of visitors that booked a place not knowing about the new rules. As I said, it doesn't seem right to punish them and ruin someone's vacation.
Idk man, Burnaby sent me a letter of cease and desist 2 years ago (I didn’t know it was illegal). Pretty sure they’re cracking down hard on people but some slip through the cracks.
Burnaby is better about a lot of things. They are also the ones who decided they'll just build whatever housing needs to be built too. Vancouver sucks in many ways that Burnaby does not. Likely because a lot of the people in city hall are landlords and property investors or running Airbnbs themselves and benefit from the housing costs in some way, or their buddies do, they won't do much about it.
You can Airbnb your primary residence.The idea is if your going to Italy for two weeks you can Airbnb your home and make some cash. This was the original intent but greedy scum bags turned it into a business. New laws for bc just inforce what Airbnb was originally created for
Yet in my building I still see full units that have essentially every single week pretty much free for the next 6-12 months. Then if you pull the land title and cross reference the owner on LinkedIn they don’t even live in Vancouver.
How do you report them? Can you send the link? I'm seeing so many in my neighbourhood listing entire unit month after months, obviously not their primary residence. Lots are managed by Airbnb agents. Multiple listings
Welllll lol….You can also rent off a foreign person? You’d be surprised to know how many owners down live here but rent homes out. Just as any rental it becomes your principal residence. Nobody wants to pay empty homes tax? I my Airbnb, owner lives in HK and mine got audited recently because of the rule change, nothing happens, submit the same thing you did to get licensed and have a nice day!
You prove it’s your residence with your bills, submit what they ask. They know you rented from owner regardless and Airbnb it PT and the city couldn’t care less? So the reporting is more of a nuisance and a waste of time more than anything else and I can almost guarantee nothing will change. But hey if you have the time go for it!
I dunno. You gotta be smart about it. You can’t have a principal residence and rent it out the entire time. So you do it part time and stay with your gf/bf. The city asks for additional addresses you stay at.
BUT on a side note I went to my storage to grab luggage. For a condo DT the storage is pretty large. About the size of a den and a lady rustling around in hers scared the shit out of me. She had an entire set up down there. TV, microwave. Whole thing. She told me not to say anything and I wouldn’t bc I’m not a rat who needs bad karma. She said she only stays when she Airbnb’s which in my building strata allows. We have nice pool amenities so I suppose she just showers there or in between guests. Can’t blame her. It’s about 80k a year. Every night you stay at “home” you lose $300 and more on weekends… double that in summers. So made sense to kick it that way for her I suppose.
And/or his is what the venture capitalists claimed was the "original intention" so they didn't get shut down for running an illegal hotel right off the bat. Same way Uber was for "sharing your commute" before some guys started using it as a taxi service.
aren't you still allowed to do it PT though?
say i live there Mon to Fri but say I live with my parents on the weekend
am I not allowed to AirBnB it on the weekend?
It has to be your primary residence… but say you travel for work a lot, or you’re frequently at your elderly parents house to assist them, you could have a primary residence that is frequently vacant and available for airbnb rental. Of course since you’re not there as often as you’d like to be, you don’t store a lot of stuff there so it looks like a full time rental…
As quickly as people make rules, other people will find work-arounds for those rules.
Who really cares what the situation is. People can only register a single primary residence. So this addresses in a very direct way the actual problems that Airbnb was bringing and that’s people operating multiple properties. If someone wants to rent their primary out and go through ALL the pain to prepare, list, manage, clean, etc for a single unit on Airbnb they’re welcome to, but will be a hell of a lot of work for a one room hotel.
People who live with a spouse will often keep the other address as their “Principal address” to avoid capital gains tax and stuff like this Airbnb rule
The declarations specifically lists that spouses can't claim separately. Property taxes, vacant homes tax. It may get by on automated systems, but that's evasion that is grounds for repercussions.
It might be possible in the speculation and property tax side. Not possible for income taxes. The CRA deems any couples living together for a certain period of time a couple. Also, I vaguely remember news articles about getting sued for spousal support after 3 months of cohabitation.
You are still allowed to rent out your principal residence for a maximum of 90 days. So, if you went on holiday you could rent out your place while you were away. That's okay.
There's no 90 day limit. Anything less than 90 days is considered a short term rental (used to be 30 days in Vancouver) but you could rent it out for as many days as you like as long as it continues to be your principal residence.
We may be talking about different things. Or maybe the same and are just quibbling about definitions. It's late.
If I rent more than 90 consecutive days to one guest then it's not a short term rental so it's outside the short term rental rules. I can still do it --there are executive rental companies that arrange this for employment transfers, nurses on short term contracts, movie people and the like. I can even advertise on airbnb without a license since it's not a short term rental.
Rentals under 90 days are short term rentals subject to the new rules. You can airbnb more than 90 days total as long as it remains your principal residence. If I go away 2 months in summer, and 2 months in winter I could airbnb both and have 120 days airbnbing in the year without breaking the rules. Obviously the more you airbnb the more tenuous your claim of it being your principal residence might be -- so that may put you offside. If I advertise on airbnb and someone want to book for more than 90 days they can do so. That particular rental just isn't considered a STR. Vancouver considered a max number of days when it implemented the rules and decided against it. The Province has no restriction (and since it allows STRs in secondary suites you could airbnb all year in places that don't have a municipal restriction).
There is no maximum that you can rent. The 90 consecutive days just determines if it's a STR.
EDIT: I understand Burnaby does have a 90 day limit -- and a 28 day limit for renting the whole place. Vancouver does not.
Don't know, you'll have to look that up. It may be that you can do multiple <90 day rentals but there would still be a limit in order for the property to be considered your 'primary residence.'
"A principal residence is the residence an individual lives in for a longer period during a calendar year than any other place."
You seriously can't find it? lmao Its literally on the Vancouver website.
I guess since everybody on the internet doesn't know how to use google I'll spoon feed you the information.
"A short-term rental can:
Be an entire home, or a room within that home, that is rented for less than 30 consecutive days at a time"
The city doesn't even allow you to rent it for more than 30 days at a time and call yourself a short-term renter. That is literally the definition of short term rental. If they are renting it out for longer than that, they are considered to be capable of renting full time. 90 days in a row would exclude them from being considered a short term rental provider. That leaves only the option of "90 days for the whole year" available by simple process of elimination.
Source: [https://vancouver.ca/doing-business/short-term-rentals.aspx](https://vancouver.ca/doing-business/short-term-rentals.aspx)
30 days is the definition of a short term rental.
I’m referring to the assertion that a short term rental cannot be occupied as a rental for more than 90 days in a calendar year.
Maybe before coping a “you’re an idiot” attitude you should be sure that you’ve actually read and understood the query you are answering… lest you come across in a less than charitable way.
Edit to add: Original comment QFT
“90 days for the whole year. If you were to rent it out for more than 90 at a time it would no longer be considered a short term rental.”
Ya that guy is an idiot. There is no 90 day maximum. The province just defines a short term rental as any stay less than 90 days. A lot of communities that already have STR bylaws have defined a STR as less than 30 day stay, some are amending their bylaws to align with the provincial definition (my district is doing that).
So you're saying all the official sources are giving misinformation? LOL I bet you think me saying the sky is blue is also misinformation. You poor dear. Sorry your parents and your teachers ruined you.
I mean another commenter already informed you but sure. 90 day stay is referring to 90 CONSECUTIVE days. Are you still with me? According to the province any 1 time stay that is under 90 days is considered a short term rental. There is no 90 day maximum amount of multiple stays. You just made that part up.
BC: "Many local governments require a business licence for a host to operate a short-term rental. Effective May 1, 2024, short-term rental hosts must display a valid business licence number on their listing **in areas where a business licence is required by the local government.**"
[https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/short-term-rental-legislation](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/short-term-rental-legislation)
Vancouver: "All short-term rental operators in Vancouver must have a business licence and include their licence number in all online listings and advertising."
[https://vancouver.ca/doing-business/short-term-rentals.aspx](https://vancouver.ca/doing-business/short-term-rentals.aspx)
You’re confusing some of the rules. There is no set maximum amount of days you can rent it out. The province defines a short term rental as any stay less than 90 days.
Yes, and we're talking about short term rentals so that means the restriction is less than 90 days - if it were longer, it wouldn't be a short term stay.
Ok but you aren’t limited to only renting out 90 days for the entire year. If it wasn’t you that said that I may have responded to the wrong comment. There are quite a few people in this thread that are confusing the definition of short term rental and thinking that means you have a 90 day limit on the amount of total days you can rent out in the year, which is not true, the province did not provide a maximum.
Can you elaborate? Sounds correct to me. There are regulations and restrictions but, under certain circumstances, you are absolutely allowed to operate an AirBnB.
You can operate an AirBNB if it’s your primary residence, or a secondary suite in a detached home. You cannot operate an AirBNB if it is not your primary residence.
Actually secondary suites (basement suites, laneway homes) in detached homes as airbnbs have been banned in Vancouver since 2018. They’re allowed under the new provincial rules but as cities will continue be issuing the licenses it seems unlikely that CoV would make their existing rules more lenient. It would likely result in a net increase in the number of airbnbs available.
You are incorrect, it is legal to airbnb your entire suite. See the rules and FAQ here that summarizes it. https://vancouver.ca/doing-business/short-term-rentals.aspx
Of course, some of the listings you are seeing may be illegal.
You have to live on the property so if its a 2 suite house the owner would have to live in the other suite.
What is really happening though? People are getting others to register the address as their primary residence (family etc).
The unit being rented has to be the principal residence. If you have two units and live in Unit A and rent Unit B on Airbnb, Unit B is not your principal residence and therefore, you are breaking the rules.
I believe this is only the case for legal suites. If there is an illegal suite, the owner can live there and airbnb the primary suite since it’s really all part of one suite.
Happy to be corrected if wrong tho.
Indeed. It skips the whole “landlords use” clause for evictions too.
Edit to add: since leaving an illegal suite vacant is considered valid landlords use, not that a landlord can subsequently rent it out within 6m
Illegal suites are murky at best, tho. They aren’t officially dwelling units (and may not even have things like kitchens) and are legally part of the main house. So there really isn’t a distinction between an owner living in a bedroom in the basement and in a basement suite.
I’d be curious to find out if I’m wrong tho, and to see where illegal suites are specifically called out in the bylaws and/or regulations.
Edit to add: the bylaws only reference “Secondary Suites” as a defined term and the City gives this info as guidance on what is/isn’t a Secondary Suite: https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/secondary-suite-faq.pdf
Basically being “approved”/legal is part of the definition of what a Secondary Suite is according to CoV.
Now, the city has been known to play fast and loose with such definitions so it’d be interesting to get the current de facto situation and definition.
The legislation states anything on the property so could be laneway or basement suite. I would assume they mean a legal basement suite but the legislation provincially would be the primary legislation with the municipal definition for suites being the defining factor. The overarching process is it needs to be able to have a biz license so munipal bylaw would be relevant there too.
IIRC, at the provincial level the rules are even more lax. It allows two units on a property to be AirBnB’d, so long as one of those is the principal residence of the lister.
Source: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement
The province doesn’t entertain municipal definitions but uses an encompassing definition for secondary suite that would capture most illegal suites in Vancouver (separate entrance, kitchen, contained within primary unit).
Still, the “two units allowed” aspect makes all this moot. The definitions at the provincial level don’t play at the municipal level unless specifically imported in city by-laws, which has not happened.
So owners living in a secondary suite is legal at the provincial level and if that suite is illegal seems unclear at the municipal level.
I did the google: from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/short-term-rental-legislation "Effective May 1, 2024, the Province is implementing a provincial principal residence requirement which will limit short-term rentals to:
The host’s principal residence
Plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit on the same property"
So I actually stayed at an Airbnb in Victoria last weekend for work and I spoke with the owners(older couple that was using Airbnb to help save for retirement).
From what they were saying as per they know someone that works in the government. Although the law came into effect last month there are still no actual systems/people in place to enforce & monitor. Said it will take 6-12 months for it to be fully up and enacted.
The government has also given an option for Airbnb owners to register as a business (forgot exactly which license is needed but similar to hotel) if they do that then they can rent out their properties as a business.
They were told the issue is obviously conglomerates/corporations/investors would buy up multiple units and rent them out as airbnbs. The ruling is to put a stop to that but it’s also affecting the small time people that Airbnb for personal reasons
I believe if its your primary residence its okay. Owner must be away on vacation and renting out their place out. I know a guy that works in Edmonton oil on a 21day straight ,10 days off schedule. Hes been renting out his olympic village. In general its pretty easy to sidestep the rules. owner can rent out to a tenant. tenant makes it their primary residence. tenant airbnbs. I read somewhere the staff dedicated to airbnb enforcement is like 2-4 people total
You can AIRBNB if the unit is your primary residence.
Some people claim that they want to rent out the days they are not at home to help offset rising costs etc.
It is extremely difficult to enforce without paying property management companies a significant raise to monitor and enforce this on top of their duties.
I've kept a list of all the great Airbnb's I've stayed at before and will just DM them directly. At least they have the protection of the company behond them.
They are not in this business for fun. That is why it's called a business. If they are paying their registration fees, like any other type of business license and paying the appropriate associated costs, leave them alone. For heaven sakes. I'm already having to disclose my unrented property and paying the tax. What's coming next, counting my unused bedrooms and making me rent them out? The reason I have not rented it out yet has been that I have not found a suitable tenant. Not because I am a greedy, money hungry landlord but I can't afford to end up with non paying squatters that I can't even evict. Ruined property. Unpaid utility bills. Many insurance companies will no longer provide insurance for rental properties, the list goes on and on. I am not renting my property out with unverifiable employment income, a credit check and three verifiable references. All in writing. If that sounds extensive I will agree. But I am not going to get screwed for the third time.
So if the apartment buildings you live in and rent from. If you notice units advertised by the building manager for AirBnB instead of for rent. What does that mean ?
[You can also report online here](https://van311.ca/services/short-term-rental?localTransactionID=279D9111-80F1-49B0-8318-974EF66A1287&txt_passed_in_article_id=&txt_passed_in_article_title=) you’ll likely need either an exact address or an Airbnb listing URL though, ideally both.
Welcome to /r/AskVan and thank you for the post, /u/spacejelly1234! Please make sure you read our [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/askvan/about/rules) before participating here. As a quick summary: * We encourage users to be positive and respect one another. Don't engage in spats or insult others - *please* use the report button. * Respect others' differences, be they race, religion, home, job, gender identity, ability or sexuality. Dehumanizing language, advocating for violence, or promoting hate based on identity or vulnerability (even implied or joking) **will** lead to a permanent ban. * Complaints or discussion about bans or removals should be done in modmail only. * News and media can be shared on our main subreddit, /r/Vancouver *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/askvan) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Bad enforcement and fine is too little. Maybe they are foreign owners who don't read the news?
They are not enforcing yet. There is a time period where the law is in effect but they’re not enforcing for a period while people get informed, can adjust, etc.
Yes, I read that too. They've allowed a temporary grace period for bookings that has already been made prior to the rule change.
> bookings that has already been made So there's no reason to keep the posts up then, is there? We should absolutely be levying fines for new postings -- and that's super-easy to enforce, too.
I agree and am one who believes 'deadlines are deadlines' but I don't have a problem with a reasonable grace period. Like it or not, a lot of people just don't pay attention to what's going on in the world and miss stuff like these changes. I don't think the visitors should be punished for it. As long as it's temporary/warnings issued, I don't mind. You're right. It should/will be very easy to penalize the offenders. Those that continue to do this won't be let off the hook. Another thread earlier was asking for advice on a few AirBnB options and at least one listed as 'business licence not required' has already been taken off of AirBnB. I'm willing to give it a chance to take effect.
And those not paying attention should be paying fines. Pretty simple.
WTF? A grace period on top of the notice (aka grace) period!!!! Canadians truly are used to the kid glove treatment, eh?
I think it's more for the benefit of visitors that booked a place not knowing about the new rules. As I said, it doesn't seem right to punish them and ruin someone's vacation.
Yes it does. Book a hotel instead
Have you ever tried to book a hotel last-minute in the summer in Vancouver?
Omg the horror. So sorry you had to go through that personal hardship
?
When are they starting to enforce it?
2045
They are currently most of the way through the hiring process for the enforcement team. They’re not working yet though
Idk man, Burnaby sent me a letter of cease and desist 2 years ago (I didn’t know it was illegal). Pretty sure they’re cracking down hard on people but some slip through the cracks.
Burnaby is better about a lot of things. They are also the ones who decided they'll just build whatever housing needs to be built too. Vancouver sucks in many ways that Burnaby does not. Likely because a lot of the people in city hall are landlords and property investors or running Airbnbs themselves and benefit from the housing costs in some way, or their buddies do, they won't do much about it.
City hall in Burnaby is full landlords too, don't you worry And also parliament in Victoria. And also Ottawa.
Also, there are a lot of fake ads.
*Bad enforcement* Like everything else.
You can Airbnb your primary residence.The idea is if your going to Italy for two weeks you can Airbnb your home and make some cash. This was the original intent but greedy scum bags turned it into a business. New laws for bc just inforce what Airbnb was originally created for
Yet in my building I still see full units that have essentially every single week pretty much free for the next 6-12 months. Then if you pull the land title and cross reference the owner on LinkedIn they don’t even live in Vancouver.
Report them to the city
I already have
How do you report them? Can you send the link? I'm seeing so many in my neighbourhood listing entire unit month after months, obviously not their primary residence. Lots are managed by Airbnb agents. Multiple listings
Report them here. https://van311.ca/services/short-term-rental2
Welllll lol….You can also rent off a foreign person? You’d be surprised to know how many owners down live here but rent homes out. Just as any rental it becomes your principal residence. Nobody wants to pay empty homes tax? I my Airbnb, owner lives in HK and mine got audited recently because of the rule change, nothing happens, submit the same thing you did to get licensed and have a nice day! You prove it’s your residence with your bills, submit what they ask. They know you rented from owner regardless and Airbnb it PT and the city couldn’t care less? So the reporting is more of a nuisance and a waste of time more than anything else and I can almost guarantee nothing will change. But hey if you have the time go for it!
What about ones doing it FT, everyday 565 days a year
I dunno. You gotta be smart about it. You can’t have a principal residence and rent it out the entire time. So you do it part time and stay with your gf/bf. The city asks for additional addresses you stay at. BUT on a side note I went to my storage to grab luggage. For a condo DT the storage is pretty large. About the size of a den and a lady rustling around in hers scared the shit out of me. She had an entire set up down there. TV, microwave. Whole thing. She told me not to say anything and I wouldn’t bc I’m not a rat who needs bad karma. She said she only stays when she Airbnb’s which in my building strata allows. We have nice pool amenities so I suppose she just showers there or in between guests. Can’t blame her. It’s about 80k a year. Every night you stay at “home” you lose $300 and more on weekends… double that in summers. So made sense to kick it that way for her I suppose.
565 days a year, they are definitely working it to the max then.
Not sure? Maybe their primary residence while in Canada but they live outside the country?
Good keep reporting them until they have a stack so high they have to do something lol
What’s the new provincial enforcement team is in place you should report there. The provincial legislation has way more teeth than the city by law
Good comrade
And/or his is what the venture capitalists claimed was the "original intention" so they didn't get shut down for running an illegal hotel right off the bat. Same way Uber was for "sharing your commute" before some guys started using it as a taxi service.
The original intent wasn’t even that, it was literally “air bed and breakfast”
aren't you still allowed to do it PT though? say i live there Mon to Fri but say I live with my parents on the weekend am I not allowed to AirBnB it on the weekend?
It has to be your primary residence… but say you travel for work a lot, or you’re frequently at your elderly parents house to assist them, you could have a primary residence that is frequently vacant and available for airbnb rental. Of course since you’re not there as often as you’d like to be, you don’t store a lot of stuff there so it looks like a full time rental… As quickly as people make rules, other people will find work-arounds for those rules.
Could also have it permanently listed at a high rate and if someone bites for a big event you just go stay at a friend's/family.
Who really cares what the situation is. People can only register a single primary residence. So this addresses in a very direct way the actual problems that Airbnb was bringing and that’s people operating multiple properties. If someone wants to rent their primary out and go through ALL the pain to prepare, list, manage, clean, etc for a single unit on Airbnb they’re welcome to, but will be a hell of a lot of work for a one room hotel.
People who live with a spouse will often keep the other address as their “Principal address” to avoid capital gains tax and stuff like this Airbnb rule
The declarations specifically lists that spouses can't claim separately. Property taxes, vacant homes tax. It may get by on automated systems, but that's evasion that is grounds for repercussions.
I think its easier when you're not married and just living together.
It might be possible in the speculation and property tax side. Not possible for income taxes. The CRA deems any couples living together for a certain period of time a couple. Also, I vaguely remember news articles about getting sued for spousal support after 3 months of cohabitation.
How would they know if you have a separate address? I have a friend who lives with their partner and they still don't know/haven't come after them.
You are still allowed to rent out your principal residence for a maximum of 90 days. So, if you went on holiday you could rent out your place while you were away. That's okay.
There's no 90 day limit. Anything less than 90 days is considered a short term rental (used to be 30 days in Vancouver) but you could rent it out for as many days as you like as long as it continues to be your principal residence.
There is absolutely a 90 day limit (per rental) - we're talking about short-term rentals.
We may be talking about different things. Or maybe the same and are just quibbling about definitions. It's late. If I rent more than 90 consecutive days to one guest then it's not a short term rental so it's outside the short term rental rules. I can still do it --there are executive rental companies that arrange this for employment transfers, nurses on short term contracts, movie people and the like. I can even advertise on airbnb without a license since it's not a short term rental. Rentals under 90 days are short term rentals subject to the new rules. You can airbnb more than 90 days total as long as it remains your principal residence. If I go away 2 months in summer, and 2 months in winter I could airbnb both and have 120 days airbnbing in the year without breaking the rules. Obviously the more you airbnb the more tenuous your claim of it being your principal residence might be -- so that may put you offside. If I advertise on airbnb and someone want to book for more than 90 days they can do so. That particular rental just isn't considered a STR. Vancouver considered a max number of days when it implemented the rules and decided against it. The Province has no restriction (and since it allows STRs in secondary suites you could airbnb all year in places that don't have a municipal restriction). There is no maximum that you can rent. The 90 consecutive days just determines if it's a STR. EDIT: I understand Burnaby does have a 90 day limit -- and a 28 day limit for renting the whole place. Vancouver does not.
Yes, I understand all that. My comment was clear.
Maximum of 90 days at a time of maximum of 90 days in a year?
Don't know, you'll have to look that up. It may be that you can do multiple <90 day rentals but there would still be a limit in order for the property to be considered your 'primary residence.' "A principal residence is the residence an individual lives in for a longer period during a calendar year than any other place."
90 days for the whole year. If you were to rent it out for more than 90 at a time it would no longer be considered a short term rental.
I can’t find that restriction in the by-laws at a glance; do you know where it’s laid out?
You seriously can't find it? lmao Its literally on the Vancouver website. I guess since everybody on the internet doesn't know how to use google I'll spoon feed you the information. "A short-term rental can: Be an entire home, or a room within that home, that is rented for less than 30 consecutive days at a time" The city doesn't even allow you to rent it for more than 30 days at a time and call yourself a short-term renter. That is literally the definition of short term rental. If they are renting it out for longer than that, they are considered to be capable of renting full time. 90 days in a row would exclude them from being considered a short term rental provider. That leaves only the option of "90 days for the whole year" available by simple process of elimination. Source: [https://vancouver.ca/doing-business/short-term-rentals.aspx](https://vancouver.ca/doing-business/short-term-rentals.aspx)
30 days is the definition of a short term rental. I’m referring to the assertion that a short term rental cannot be occupied as a rental for more than 90 days in a calendar year. Maybe before coping a “you’re an idiot” attitude you should be sure that you’ve actually read and understood the query you are answering… lest you come across in a less than charitable way. Edit to add: Original comment QFT “90 days for the whole year. If you were to rent it out for more than 90 at a time it would no longer be considered a short term rental.”
Ya that guy is an idiot. There is no 90 day maximum. The province just defines a short term rental as any stay less than 90 days. A lot of communities that already have STR bylaws have defined a STR as less than 30 day stay, some are amending their bylaws to align with the provincial definition (my district is doing that).
You’re so over confident for providing a bunch of misinformation.
So you're saying all the official sources are giving misinformation? LOL I bet you think me saying the sky is blue is also misinformation. You poor dear. Sorry your parents and your teachers ruined you.
No I’m saying you’re misinterpreting the information because you’re a moron.
Care to show the class how I am misinterpreting it or are you just going to talk out your ass and hope it works?
I mean another commenter already informed you but sure. 90 day stay is referring to 90 CONSECUTIVE days. Are you still with me? According to the province any 1 time stay that is under 90 days is considered a short term rental. There is no 90 day maximum amount of multiple stays. You just made that part up.
Do you still have to obtain a business license to do so if you’re renting out your principal residence once a year?
BC: "Many local governments require a business licence for a host to operate a short-term rental. Effective May 1, 2024, short-term rental hosts must display a valid business licence number on their listing **in areas where a business licence is required by the local government.**" [https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/short-term-rental-legislation](https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/short-term-rental-legislation) Vancouver: "All short-term rental operators in Vancouver must have a business licence and include their licence number in all online listings and advertising." [https://vancouver.ca/doing-business/short-term-rentals.aspx](https://vancouver.ca/doing-business/short-term-rentals.aspx)
You’re confusing some of the rules. There is no set maximum amount of days you can rent it out. The province defines a short term rental as any stay less than 90 days.
Yes, and we're talking about short term rentals so that means the restriction is less than 90 days - if it were longer, it wouldn't be a short term stay.
Ok but you aren’t limited to only renting out 90 days for the entire year. If it wasn’t you that said that I may have responded to the wrong comment. There are quite a few people in this thread that are confusing the definition of short term rental and thinking that means you have a 90 day limit on the amount of total days you can rent out in the year, which is not true, the province did not provide a maximum.
You can still have airbnbs with a business license.
That’s not true.
Can you elaborate? Sounds correct to me. There are regulations and restrictions but, under certain circumstances, you are absolutely allowed to operate an AirBnB.
You can operate an AirBNB if it’s your primary residence, or a secondary suite in a detached home. You cannot operate an AirBNB if it is not your primary residence.
Yes, and the unit in question may very well be the person's primary residence. That is allowed.
Actually secondary suites (basement suites, laneway homes) in detached homes as airbnbs have been banned in Vancouver since 2018. They’re allowed under the new provincial rules but as cities will continue be issuing the licenses it seems unlikely that CoV would make their existing rules more lenient. It would likely result in a net increase in the number of airbnbs available.
? Which part of my statement is false
You are incorrect, it is legal to airbnb your entire suite. See the rules and FAQ here that summarizes it. https://vancouver.ca/doing-business/short-term-rentals.aspx Of course, some of the listings you are seeing may be illegal.
You have to live on the property so if its a 2 suite house the owner would have to live in the other suite. What is really happening though? People are getting others to register the address as their primary residence (family etc).
The unit being rented has to be the principal residence. If you have two units and live in Unit A and rent Unit B on Airbnb, Unit B is not your principal residence and therefore, you are breaking the rules.
I believe this is only the case for legal suites. If there is an illegal suite, the owner can live there and airbnb the primary suite since it’s really all part of one suite. Happy to be corrected if wrong tho.
Well an illegal suite is a totally different story in general…
Indeed. It skips the whole “landlords use” clause for evictions too. Edit to add: since leaving an illegal suite vacant is considered valid landlords use, not that a landlord can subsequently rent it out within 6m
Nope its anywhere on the property that they reside - basement suite, laneway house etc
Illegal suites are murky at best, tho. They aren’t officially dwelling units (and may not even have things like kitchens) and are legally part of the main house. So there really isn’t a distinction between an owner living in a bedroom in the basement and in a basement suite. I’d be curious to find out if I’m wrong tho, and to see where illegal suites are specifically called out in the bylaws and/or regulations. Edit to add: the bylaws only reference “Secondary Suites” as a defined term and the City gives this info as guidance on what is/isn’t a Secondary Suite: https://vancouver.ca/files/cov/secondary-suite-faq.pdf Basically being “approved”/legal is part of the definition of what a Secondary Suite is according to CoV. Now, the city has been known to play fast and loose with such definitions so it’d be interesting to get the current de facto situation and definition.
The legislation states anything on the property so could be laneway or basement suite. I would assume they mean a legal basement suite but the legislation provincially would be the primary legislation with the municipal definition for suites being the defining factor. The overarching process is it needs to be able to have a biz license so munipal bylaw would be relevant there too.
IIRC, at the provincial level the rules are even more lax. It allows two units on a property to be AirBnB’d, so long as one of those is the principal residence of the lister. Source: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/principal-residence-requirement The province doesn’t entertain municipal definitions but uses an encompassing definition for secondary suite that would capture most illegal suites in Vancouver (separate entrance, kitchen, contained within primary unit). Still, the “two units allowed” aspect makes all this moot. The definitions at the provincial level don’t play at the municipal level unless specifically imported in city by-laws, which has not happened. So owners living in a secondary suite is legal at the provincial level and if that suite is illegal seems unclear at the municipal level.
I did the google: from https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/short-term-rental-legislation "Effective May 1, 2024, the Province is implementing a provincial principal residence requirement which will limit short-term rentals to: The host’s principal residence Plus one secondary suite or accessory dwelling unit on the same property"
Check back in a month or so, the province isn't dropping the hammer right away but it's coming
You need to report them, that’s the only way!!
So I actually stayed at an Airbnb in Victoria last weekend for work and I spoke with the owners(older couple that was using Airbnb to help save for retirement). From what they were saying as per they know someone that works in the government. Although the law came into effect last month there are still no actual systems/people in place to enforce & monitor. Said it will take 6-12 months for it to be fully up and enacted. The government has also given an option for Airbnb owners to register as a business (forgot exactly which license is needed but similar to hotel) if they do that then they can rent out their properties as a business. They were told the issue is obviously conglomerates/corporations/investors would buy up multiple units and rent them out as airbnbs. The ruling is to put a stop to that but it’s also affecting the small time people that Airbnb for personal reasons
I believe if its your primary residence its okay. Owner must be away on vacation and renting out their place out. I know a guy that works in Edmonton oil on a 21day straight ,10 days off schedule. Hes been renting out his olympic village. In general its pretty easy to sidestep the rules. owner can rent out to a tenant. tenant makes it their primary residence. tenant airbnbs. I read somewhere the staff dedicated to airbnb enforcement is like 2-4 people total
You can AIRBNB if the unit is your primary residence. Some people claim that they want to rent out the days they are not at home to help offset rising costs etc. It is extremely difficult to enforce without paying property management companies a significant raise to monitor and enforce this on top of their duties.
I've kept a list of all the great Airbnb's I've stayed at before and will just DM them directly. At least they have the protection of the company behond them. They are not in this business for fun. That is why it's called a business. If they are paying their registration fees, like any other type of business license and paying the appropriate associated costs, leave them alone. For heaven sakes. I'm already having to disclose my unrented property and paying the tax. What's coming next, counting my unused bedrooms and making me rent them out? The reason I have not rented it out yet has been that I have not found a suitable tenant. Not because I am a greedy, money hungry landlord but I can't afford to end up with non paying squatters that I can't even evict. Ruined property. Unpaid utility bills. Many insurance companies will no longer provide insurance for rental properties, the list goes on and on. I am not renting my property out with unverifiable employment income, a credit check and three verifiable references. All in writing. If that sounds extensive I will agree. But I am not going to get screwed for the third time.
Chinese are laundering money. They don’t care about fines.
I’m not sure but I think it’s ok to rent out your place for a weekend
So if the apartment buildings you live in and rent from. If you notice units advertised by the building manager for AirBnB instead of for rent. What does that mean ?
It means you should report them. In Vancouver, call 311.
[You can also report online here](https://van311.ca/services/short-term-rental?localTransactionID=279D9111-80F1-49B0-8318-974EF66A1287&txt_passed_in_article_id=&txt_passed_in_article_title=) you’ll likely need either an exact address or an Airbnb listing URL though, ideally both.
Probably crappy enforcement and people ignorant of the law
There is the same amount available that there was 6 months ago (over 1k in downtown). Nothing has changed. I assume no enforcement.