Owners of short-term rentals in the District of North Vancouver say the municipality should make less-restrictive rules to regulate the business.
At a public hearing on April 1, many of the speakers took aim at a staff-recommended proposal to restrict short-term rental stays to 28 days, which would align with district policy for similar businesses like bed and breakfasts.
The provincial limit for STRs is 90 consecutive days before different licensing is required.
People speaking at the hearing also took issue with a proposal to limit STRs to one unit per property, instead of both the principal residence and a secondary unit. Staff favoured the more restrictive option because it reduces administrative and enforcement burdens, according to a report.
The district has set a tentative date for a special meeting on April 14 to approve the new rules, the day before the municipality plans to start receiving applications for a $350 annual licence to run an STR.
Per new provincial rules unveiled in October 2023, hosts will also have to register with the province by May 1. After June 1, existing hosts who haven’t properly registered will have their listings pulled off sites like Airbnb and VRBO.
There are more than 900 STR listings currently active in the district, and more than a dozen owners went to the April 1 public hearing to express their opinions to council.
Pemberton Heights homeowner Daniel Roberts said he’s operated an Airbnb for four and a half years
“I agree with previous residents speaking today on the 28 days being short for giving us the flexibility as homeowners, as really running a small business as an Airbnb, to be able to afford to live in this very beautiful area,” he said.
Roberts said that his STR clients include people awaiting home renovations, which can take six to 10 weeks to complete. He also has ski instructors stay in his suite while they work on the local hills.
“It’s not 28 days that they’re here for. So can I please encourage you to re-look at the 28-days [restriction],” Roberts said.
“We live as a single-income household. This is critical for me to pay mortgage,” he added.
Short-term rental rules reduce costs for long-term renters, speaker says
Lynn Valley resident Mackenzie Wilson said that multiple licences should be allowed on a property, or that the owner should have the flexibility for the licence to switch between the principal dwelling and secondary unit.
“We also like the flexibility that if we are travelling ourselves, it helps us pay for where we need to go, or helps us with our bills, to be able to switch the different dwellings,” she said.
Another speaker who identified as Ashley H. said that the district’s proposed STR guest limit of six should be expanded. She said the North Shore is appealing for family getaways.
We prefer the Edgemont area, or Upper Lonsdale, where we can get a bit of a larger house where eight members of the family – two kids, two young infants, and our elderly grandparents and a small dog – can all get together once for annual trip,” she said.
Speaking from the perspective of a renter, North Van resident Stephanie Wilson said she was concerned that – without limitations – STRs can be used to circumvent residential tenancy rules, which provide important protections for both tenants and landlords.
“I think it’s critical to ensure that both renters and rental stock are protected,” she said.
She cited City of Vancouver data that STR restrictions can cool rents by more than $1,000 a year for long-term renters.
“Renters have much lower median income than homeowners and are much more susceptible to issues with rental stock,” Wilson said. “So I just really hope that this council will consider renters and rental stock and their needs in this discussion.”
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