Editor:
I read with dismay a letter in the June 23 publication from Tricia Smurthwaite in regards to short-term rentals on the Coast (“Short-term nightmares”).
Although I do feel her pain with the living conditions that her neighbours have put upon her, I would like people to see the flip side of what a short-term rental can be like.
I have owned and operated a B&B/vacation rental for two summers now on my property, and have not had any issues whatsoever with my guests.
I do advertise in my listing with both VRBO and AirBnB that my property has a “no excessive noise” policy in respect of our neighbours, and that there is a noise bylaw in effect between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. for our area.
I advertise my cottage as a quiet, relaxing vacation getaway, a point much appreciated by my guests.
I pay the extra insurance that is required for transient guests – not an easy nor inexpensive policy to come by, for sure. I have a business number and claim my income on my taxes for this at year end.
I have a daughter in third-year university at UBC, and the income that I receive from this helps me out with getting her through her education.
Besides that fact, I simply enjoy welcoming visitors from around the world to our area and believe that vacation rentals are a huge part of community and tourism.
If you run your B&B/vacation rental in a responsible manner, it should have no ill effect on your neighbours at all.
And Tricia, you might want to keep in mind – full-time tenants can be just as much a nightmare as short-term tenants, only tougher to get out once in.
Jen Mckenzie, Roberts Creek
