1731 replies to this topic

[lanforod]

Wow, you sure picked an unflattering photo there!

[Kungsberg]

“The province is introducing amendments to strata property regulations in an effort to crack down on strata vacation rentals.

Under the new regulations, which will come into effect Nov. 30, strata corporations will be able to fine owners or residents not complying with short-term rental bans up to $1,000 a day.

Currently, stratas can pass bylaws banning short-term rentals, with a maximum fine of $200 per week.”

 

http://www.cbc.ca/ne...r-day-1.4752761

[spanky123]

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Edited by spanky123, 18 July 2018 - 10:22 PM.

[spanky123]

“The province is introducing amendments to strata property regulations in an effort to crack down on strata vacation rentals.
Under the new regulations, which will come into effect Nov. 30, strata corporations will be able to fine owners or residents not complying with short-term rental bans up to $1,000 a day.
Currently, stratas can pass bylaws banning short-term rentals, with a maximum fine of $200 per week.”

http://www.cbc.ca/ne...r-day-1.4752761

Just means that you need enough units in the rental pool to control the strata!

Good to see that the Government sets policies on stories “the we have all heard” instead of actual research

[lanforod]

I presume if there were a minority of owners, they have the alternative avenue of getting the city to fine based on zoning instead; which the city may be more willing to do if more than half of a building is flouting the zoning.

[Mike K.]

What's lost in all of this is there has been absolutely no change for the better following Victoria's AirBnB regulatory regime. The effect of the licensing is literally nil as far as access to rental housing is concerned and rental rates are concerned.

[RFS]

From the article:  "Despite the City of Victoria's efforts, there have been no measurable changes to the City's low apartment vacancy rate"

 

​How small of a brain do you need to have to unironically think that restricting and fining AirBnB's is going to solve Victoria's real estate problems?

[Mike K.]

And RFS is referring to this article: https://victoria.cit...ta-regulations/

[rjag]

What's lost in all of this is there has been absolutely no change for the better following Victoria's AirBnB regulatory regime. The effect of the licensing is literally nil as far as access to rental housing is concerned and rental rates are concerned.

 

The same could apply to all the GHG carbon pricing....has it made any difference except suck the life out of an economy?

 

The regulations like these dont make much difference for housing availability but go a long way to kill confidence in the housing market.

[Mike K.]

And why anecdotal data is so readily infused into these narratives, i.e. AirBnB's are making Victorians homeless, and a lack of carbon taxes is killing the planet.

 

Of course, what no politician will ever admit is the fact that a project that can't sell 15-units to AirBnB investors may never materialize and provide 45-units of housing for full-time residents.

[rjag]

Of course, what no politician will ever admit is the fact that a project that can't sell 15-units to AirBnB investors may never materialize and provide 45-units of housing for full-time residents.

Not to forget the jobs created by the construction of those 15 units pays wages and materials which trickles through the economy.

[Bob Fugger]

From the article:  "Despite the City of Victoria's efforts, there have been no measurable changes to the City's low apartment vacancy rate"

 

​How small of a brain do you need to have to unironically think that restricting and fining AirBnB's is going to solve Victoria's real estate problems?

As small as a CoV councilor's brain is the obvious responses.  Useful idiots.

[tjv]

Hmmmm, and maybe there should be the right for the municipality to fine homeowners who list their house on Airbnb, etc too.  Fair is fair

 

And when my neighour has an illegal basement suite I should be able to call and he gets fined $1000 a day too?

[nerka]

And RFS is referring to this article: https://victoria.cit...ta-regulations/

Have they even started enforcing the regulations yet? Looking on airbnb a few months ahead there are still scores of places listed in Vic that don't look like they would comply (eg whole suites and whole homes in Fairfield and Rockland

[Mike K.]

Municipal by law enforcement issues can take a monumental time to work through the process. My expectation would be that the City responds to actual complaints.

No complaint, no check-up. It’s the same with illegal suites where they won’t send out an inspector to assess the property unless a complaint is received.

So with that in mind, there may be several instances of a bylaw infraction playing out which we won’t know about for a while unless an FOI is filed.

Speaking of which, has the mayor’s landlord completely ceased her two AirBnB operation?

[Jackerbie]

Hmmmm, and maybe there should be the right for the municipality to fine homeowners who list their house on Airbnb, etc too.  Fair is fair

 

And when my neighour has an illegal basement suite I should be able to call and he gets fined $1000 a day too?

 

...they already can. I don't know what's in Victoria's bylaw, but Richmond has a $1000 per offense ticket for short term rentals.

 

The Province is simply upping the maximum fine a strata can issue to give them a heavier hammer with which to enforce their own bylaws. It's not about increasing rental stock or correcting housing prices, it's about stratas having the necessary tools to do what they want to do.

[Mike K.]

But the legislation banning AirBnB’s is all about those things. Strata’s didn’t have issues, for the most part, over short term rentals until officialdom – at the behest of the hotel industry and housing advocates – turned the issue into a monumental problem.

What’s also lost in translation is the City of Victoria has increased the cost of real-estate through well intentioned meddling in the free market. Now AirBnB-approved condos sell for a significant premium thereby raising the cost of housing in nearby non-AirBnB-approved buildings as sellers there respond to the inflated prices down the road.

The unintended consequence of the City’s measure, albeit one we’ve talked about since the whole scheme emerged, is not something housing advocates were prepared for.

[Jackerbie]

But the legislation banning AirBnB’s is all about those things. Strata’s didn’t have issues, for the most part, over short term rentals until officialdom – at the behest of the hotel industry and housing advocates – turned the issue into a monumental problem.

 

Yes, the legislation is about all those things. The issues that stratas have had are different, at least as has been reported in the mainland media. Some of the unique concerns have been about giving access to strangers, a steady stream of people lugging bags in and out of the building every weekend, damage to common property, etc etc. Stratas want the ability to prevent their apartment building from becoming an informal hotel, which is a perfectly fine concern and they are just in passing such bylaws.

[Mike K.]

Yes, 100% stratas ought to have control over such situations, and they already do. A $200/week vacation rental fine coupled with fines associated with noise complaints, move-in fees (many stratas charge $50-$100 per new occupancy of a unit, which means each AirBnB guest is a new occupant and the homeowner is required to pay the fee), unlicensed vehicle fees, etc., all add up. If a strata wants to go after a homeowner breaking the rules they have more then enough to make the short-term rental equation a losing, burdensome proposition.

[rjag]

Just more identify politics at play here, stratas have the power to enforce their bylaws through the courts and to claim costs.
What this is, is simply to feed the mob as well as the hotel lobby