1731 replies to this topic

[rjag]

Santa Monica, 2015:

 

 

 

 

https://www.forbes.c...a/#3d1b2562169a

 

Santa Monica, 2017:

 

 

https://nextcity.org...arking-minimums

 

Funny eh, the toughest Air BnB regulations in the entire country did not solve the "housing crisis" there.

 

 

I guess this will curtail certain travel plans for many folks, myself included as we rarely stay in hotels unless its only for 1-2 nights, We have stayed in STVR's in Santa FE, Sonoma, Whistler, Barcelona, Venice, Milan, Croatia, UK. Vacationing with 2 families totaling 8 it was so much easier to rent a house and spend our money locally and experience those cultures as opposed to renting 4 rooms in a hotel for a week at a time. We bought our groceries locally, we ate at local restaurants (no franchise restaurants on holiday, thats our rule) 

 

There will be ripple effects on the tourism industry as there will be a reduction in people visiting here if they cant find accommodation to suit their needs. 

[lanforod]

^ yep absolutely agree with all that (except the franchise restaurant part, as we love certain franchises that aren't available here, like Red Lobster).

[spanky123]

Air bnb is only one of many short term rental platforms. They didn't invent the business, don't represent the business and to many owners they have been the root cause of much of the conflict in the business with their approach to municipal authorities in jurisdictions across North America. There are lots of owners who do not use air bnb, myself included.

"Chasing down" listings across multiple platforms doesn't pose that much of a logistical problem. The third party is as yet unnamed.

Again, if we're going to increase city resources so much is this the issue that we really need to be focusing on in the city at this time? Remember last year when Vic PD had to go hat in hand to council and beg for 200k to continue to fund police assistance to social workers working in unsafe conditions and were very nearly turned away?

 

VRBO and Homeaway are owned by the same company and also turn over data to the Government and Munis as requested. There is no downside for the owner though, all of the taxes and fees are paid for by the tenant. If the tenant was paying the hospitality tax plus GST and PST then there would be millions in extra revenue coming in each year.

 

I think that whatever money the City claims they need for enforcement is really just a rouse to get the operating budget increased. Once the $500K is in general revenue then where it goes afterwards nobody knows. Same thing with the police, each time there is an issue Del asks for another $200K and a few officers. It is just a game.

[VicHockeyFan]

Pointed out on the STR Facebook group, Chris Coleman sits on the Tourism Victoria board.

 

I wonder if he should involved in votes on these moves.

Edited by sebberry, 27 November 2017 - 08:28 PM.
Fixed broken link

[Mike K.]

Oh geez, you’re right.

Interesting.

[VicHockeyFan]

https://www.gofundme.com/gvstra

 

Greater Victoria’s Short Term Rental (STR) community is under threat from our municipal governments who propose to over regulate and even ban STRs without engaging in fact based data driven public policy making and without involving all stakeholders in their decision making processes.

The Greater Victoria Short Term Rental Alliance (GVSTRA) is a newly formed group of citizens including providers, users and businesses who support short term rentals, to call for a place at the regulatory table.

We want to ensure an informed development of a licensing model based on data, on evidence-based facts.

We are not against regulation but seek fair regulation based on a comprehensive understanding of the effects of short term rentals as part of the overall rental market.

We oppose government policy based on assumptions, opinion and uninformed speculation as put forth by media and various lobby groups.

We need to actively address the City of Victoria's actions against the STR community and begin educating other municipalities that may look to follow Victoria's lead in the CRD.

We will work to highlight the benefits that the Short Term Rental community has to offer by developing information media such as a website, newsletters, social media on related activities.

Please help us raise funds for the legal defence of our STR community.

We need your support to explore all avenues (legal and otherwise) to defend and protect a vital service for all our communities and neighbourhoods that make up Greater Victoria.

Please send this notice to everyone you know that values short term rentals:operators; those considering STR; those who rely on available short term accommodation; related businesses supporting or benefitting from STR, e.g. cleaners, maintenance, managers, real estate agents, developers, insurance agents or neighborhood small businesses and restauranteurs that benefit from STR residents in our city.

Everyone who understands and appreciates the value that STR brings to our community needs to gain an understanding of the GVSTRA and our goal to preserve and protect the STR model in our city.

Our current funding request is to raise $20,000 towards our legal defence.

We need you, to be part of the Greater Victoria STR Alliance.

Please donate and join the fight to defend the STR industry in Victoria.

Thank you for your support as every dollar helps. 

Let’s tell mayorandcouncil@victoria.ca that public policy must be based on current and historic data that looks at all factors. Let's remind them that spending public funds based on limited or no data, and little or no input from all involved, DOES NOT support or further the democratic process. 

GVSTRA Steering Committee.

Greater Victoria Short Term Rental Alliance Facebook Group

 

[VicHockeyFan]

Saanich might take a closer look at short-term rentals, a controversial subject as recent developments in the City of Victoria show.

Council Monday agreed to send the issue to the next strategic plan update to see how it fits among local priorities. This decision follows a recommendation from Saanich’s planning, transportation, and economic development advisory committee, whose members noted among other points that Saanich lacks a policy that addresses what the committee calls the “growing short-term rental activity” in Saanich.

 

https://www.vicnews....ersial-rentals/

[VicHockeyFan]

Metchosin STR Meeting today.

I attended the Metchosin STR meeting at municipal hall today at 1:00 pm. To make it simple, it appears there is around 17 known STR properties in the entire municipality. However, there is a concentration of STR properties on one road at Weir's Beach. The full time residents and STR owners seem to be at odds on this street while most the STR properties outside of this specific street are not an issue.

The council appears to want to be fair on the subject, however, there is much more in meetings and research they are going to need conduct and public consultation. I have to say this council is like night and day compared to Victoria council. I will keep our alliance posted as this issue progresses.

 

 

From the STR owners FB group.

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 09 January 2018 - 05:54 PM.

[manuel]

STR concentration is also apparently causing quite a few 'issues' on a few streets near Dallas Road in Fairfield. Mainly people not knowing where to park and taking residents and long term tenants desired road parking spots (which are public property). The long term tenants may or may not be living in legal suites.

There is as well the more important issue of loss of high quality housing and rental stock. I know of at least 4 former (good) rentals and 1 owner occupied now in STR in one block.

[VicHockeyFan]

Esquimalt:

When council assembles Feb. 5 at Municipal Hall, on the agenda is a presentation from Tourism Victoria, to discuss the importance of regulating the short-term rental market as it affects tourism in the region.

So is Paul Nursey delegated to do all the bidding for the hotels? Something is wrong here.

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 05 February 2018 - 10:09 PM.

[Mike K.]

Esquimalt has one hotel, and it’s closed for renovations, isn’t it? Or maybe not. But here’s still only one.

[VicHockeyFan]

Hopefully he was not well-received.  Why would Esquimalt want less tourists?

 

West Bay would be a good place for a hotel.

 

Oh, of course maybe his angle maybe was "you will never get a hotel if you keep allowing Air BnB".

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 06 February 2018 - 08:27 AM.

[Mike K.]

Meanwhile they're getting a nicely modernized English Inn as part of that massive redevelopment effort by Aragon.

 

The AirBnB thing has been blown way out of proportion.

[VicHockeyFan]

The AirBnB thing has been blown way out of proportion.

 

In what sense?  I mean, it's real.  Yes, problems it creates are probably blown out of proportion. 

 

But look, when I was a kid, we had relatives visit us from England every summer.  They always stayed at our family house, just as we stayed at theirs in England every second summer when we went to England.  We would not have gone so often, or received company so often if we all had to use hotels.  So is there much difference between my aunt and uncle coming out for 2 weeks, or us renting to a Florida couple we do not know for 2 weeks?  Not really.  

[Mike K.]

We have yet to quantify the true effect of AirBnB's on the hotel industry. We don't appear to have negative data as occupancy rates continue to increase while the AirBnB issue is front-and-centre.

[lanforod]

For sure there is a negative effect to AirBnB's on the hotel industry; however there is a far bigger positive effect on the local economy.

[jonny]

I suppose like the taxi/uber thing, we have a strong, vocal hotel lobby that obviously has the ear of government. If you're the CoV or any other city and your largest property tax payers come to complain about something, you probably listen. The tourism industry, in general, is quite well organized and concentrated in a few major players. 

[VicHockeyFan]

But the Tourism Victoria board, that's rallying against the Air BnB sector, is made up of:

 

A hotel operator

The Bay Centre operator

A "generalist"

A Royal BC Museum person

A hotel operator

A hotel operator

A hospital industry employment group person

An airport guy

A hotel operator

A hotel operator

A whale watch guy

A theme park operator

A credit union operator

A cider farm operator

A city councillor

...and a Saanich councillor

 

Do they all oppose Air BnB?

 

Or are there just enough hoteliers on there to vote to attack Air BnB?

 

Does Butchart Gardens, BC Ferries, the DVBA, Chamber of Commerce, and the pub and restaurant and retail and transport and tour industry (none represented on the board except whale watching and the airport) really oppose Air BnB people coming here?

Edited by VicHockeyFan, 06 February 2018 - 11:35 AM.

[rjag]

If anything they should recuse themselves from any discussion in this area due to the blatant and obvious conflict. They cant make decisions for the betterment of the tourism industry in this matter

[Redd42]

But look, when I was a kid, we had relatives visit us from England every summer.  They always stayed at our family house, just as we stayed at theirs in England every second summer when we went to England.  We would not have gone so often, or received company so often if we all had to use hotels.  So is there much difference between my aunt and uncle coming out for 2 weeks, or us renting to a Florida couple we do not know for 2 weeks?  Not really.  

 

I'm planning a trip to Vegas in late April. The ONLY way I'm going there is because I can rent a whole house with a pool in the backyard. I wouldn't be going if my only choice was a room or even a suite at a hotel or casino. Probably will go to the strip a few times but most of my money will be spent at the local grocery store, coffee shop or restaurant.