Sunshine Coast Regional District (SCRD) directors say they want to hold full public consultations before deciding whether to move ahead with zoning bylaw changes aimed at regulating short-term rentals, such as those offered through websites like Airbnb.
A staff report presented at the Feb. 16 meeting of the planning and community development committee suggested changing the definition of “dwelling” and adding a definition for short-term vacation rentals in the existing zoning bylaws to make it clear that dwellings are “not permitted to be used” as short-term vacation rentals.
West Howe Sound director Ian Winn, who’s in the tourist accommodation business, pointed out that short-term rentals come in a lot of forms, and have several legitimate uses, including as workforce housing during refits or upgrades at Howe Sound Pulp and Paper.
It needs to be defined and regulated in the way B&Bs are now, he said. “We shouldn’t legislate them to go away, because it’s too late for that. Instead we should legislate them to become a viable part of our tourist economy, but with appropriate controls and respect for community values.”
Winn also suggested that Sunshine Coast Tourism’s estimates of the number of accommodation providers “may be grossly understated because so many providers operate under the radar and in the black market.”
Halfmoon Bay director, and SCRD chair, Garry Nohr said many people have already come to accept the idea of renting out all or part of their homes through something like Airbnb or VRBO as a second income source. “They’re already accommodating their property with the expectation that [a regulation legalizing it] is going to be passed, and the expectation that they will be making a bit of money off their property.”
Nohr also said issues are pitting neighbour against neighbour, and he’s not sure it’s much of an economic driver.
Frank Mauro, director for Pender Harbour, noted that the SCRD lacks the most common tool that could be used.
“We don’t have business licences,” Mauro said. “We could have business licences. It’s a major decision to be taken by the board, but if we want that kind of control, and we think our residents want that kind of control, maybe that’s what we should be talking about.”
As well as voting to hold off on discussions around defining and regulating short-term rentals, the committee also recommended waiting until after the public consultations to consider a motion to ask the province to lift the exemption for accommodation providers with fewer than four rooms from the so-called “room tax” which is currently set at two per cent. The committee recommendations were due to go the SCRD board for ratification Feb. 23. Details of how the public consultations will work should follow shortly afterwards.
