1731 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

Presumably you would be entering into an agreement to rent for the 30-day period, which would also serve as your notice to vacate in 30-days.

[TravelNut]

I thought that fixed term tenancies were now outlawed?

[lanforod]

I thought that fixed term tenancies were now outlawed?

 

That is incorrect. The RTA still has provisions for end dates of tenancies. The changes made earlier this year were related to the notice required for terminating tenancies for renovation or conversion.

 

http://www.bclaws.ca...8_01#section12 

[dasmo]

You can stay for months probably before the landlord could get the RCMP the haul you out. You could also eat anywhere in town for free. Just go to the bathroom when you’re done eating and then leave the restaurant after you leave the toilet. If you need change for parking you can always grab it from a panhandler’s hat too.

[TravelNut]

This is what is listed on the BC Gov site:

 

Effective December 11, 2017, fixed term tenancy agreements can no longer include a clause requiring a tenant to move out at the end of the term unless:

• The tenancy agreement is a sublease agreement; or
• The tenancy is a fixed term tenancy in circumstances prescribed in section 13.1 of the Residential Tenancy Regulation

[TravelNut]

You can stay for months probably before the landlord could get the RCMP the haul you out. You could also eat anywhere in town for free. Just go to the bathroom when you’re done eating and then leave the restaurant after you leave the toilet. If you need change for parking you can always grab it from a panhandler’s hat too.

Thanks for the tips;)  

 

I am just curious about how the RTA handles the Executive Suite situation as it is kind of a grey area.  Not a vacation rental, but a furnished suite rented by the month.

[Mike K.]

It is still a vacation rental, otherwise known as transient accommodation.

You are also signing on a dotted line that you agree to the terms and conditions as spelled out. If you do not respect those terms you won’t be met with a month-long, drawn out dispute, you’ll find the lock changed, your credit card charged and your chattel goods forfeited (or similar, but you get the point).

[PraiseKek]

Aren't these executive rentals illegal then? What's the address so I can determine that. I would not want perfectly good rental stock being squandered or hoarded by greedy scumbags like this guy.

Edited by PraiseKek, 28 December 2018 - 07:21 PM.

[TravelNut]

Aren't these executive rentals illegal then? What's the address so I can determine that. I would not want perfectly good rental stock being squandered or hoarded by greedy scumbags like this guy.

Sorry for asking, I thought this would be a good place for clarification.  I may have worded it incorrectly but my only intent was to see where these Executive rentals fell?  Apparently this is just another one of those forums where the regulars rule the roost and keep the views of others muted.

[Mike K.]

Executive rentals are literally AirBnB's but the "hosts" might have more services available or the suites may be geared more towards a business traveller. Theoretically they should operate within buildings that had the transient zoning.

 

TravelNut, I think the way your query came through on the receiving end hinted at you trying to take advantage of a host, i.e. rent for a month and forcefully stay for another month because you could only secure the rental for 30 days but need it for 60.

[TravelNut]

Executive rentals are literally AirBnB's but the "hosts" might have more services available or the suites may be geared more towards a business traveller. Theoretically they should operate within buildings that had the transient zoning.

 

TravelNut, I think the way your query came through on the receiving end hinted at you trying to take advantage of a host, i.e. rent for a month and forcefully stay for another month because you could only secure the rental for 30 days but need it for 60.

Thanks, yes,  I re-read my post and tried to clarify.  The unit I am looking at is in a building that is not zoned for transient accommodation, it states very clearly that it is for a minimum 1 month rental and no GST.

[Mike K.]

Can you give us the block that it’s on? We can confirm whether or not it would have been within a transient zone prior to the new regulations coming in. If it was, and it had operated as an AirBnB prior to the changes, it’s legit.

Victoria has a lot of minimum 30-day rentals geared towards the military who are posted for relatively short periods or even up to a year or two. Their suites need to be furnished and are more or less what you’d label executive suites.

[Bob Fugger]

Thanks for the tips;)  

 

I am just curious about how the RTA handles the Executive Suite situation as it is kind of a grey area.  Not a vacation rental, but a furnished suite rented by the month.

 

 

It is still a vacation rental, otherwise known as transient accommodation.

 

Hang on.  If the stay is 30 days or longer, it is absolutely not transient accommodation or a short term rental (aka vacation rental) and the Bylaw does not apply: the RTA does.  Whether or not it is furnished or an "executive accommodation" is irrelevant.

Edited by Bob Fugger, 30 December 2018 - 10:16 PM.

[Mike K.]

The CoV defines STR’s as stays under 30 days, but there is nothing precluding individuals from renting an STR for over 30 days. AirBnB offers something called Sublets which theoretically skips over STR regulations and rents vacation properties month-to-month.

But you’re right in that this appears to be a grey area. Is an AirBnB rented for 30 days no longer an AirBnB but an apartment?

[Bob Fugger]

OK, so we're saying the same thing, I'm just coming at it from an enforcement perspective.  A host just happens to be using an STVR medium - over which the bylaw has absolutely no jurisdiction.

 

Looking at it from that perspective, if you advertise on an STVR site, but set your minimum stay to 30 days, you're not an STVR.  That is, a guest would put in their Check-In date and would be prevented from putting in a Check-Out date that is fewer than 30 days out.  This is possible, I actually just tried this today.  The City would (have to) cease enforcement acton.

 

Arguably, one ought to be able to advertise on one of these sites without a minimum stay and enforcement could only happen if a host accepted a booking of fewer than 30 days.  Because the bylaw is silent on how the unit is marketed and an infraction only occurs when a unit is booked <30 days.  And perhaps, one day, someone will fight that.  I just wouldn't hold my breath.

Edited by Bob Fugger, 30 December 2018 - 10:52 PM.

[Mike K.]

Right, gotcha.

[Victoria Watcher]

if you have a suite and would like to get say $1800/mo.for it ($500 more maybe than you could have with long-term renant) can you advertise it on a STVR site but say the minimum is 30 days and $1800?  what i mean is if a couple wants it for only 22 days can you say "well you technically get it for 30 days and $1800 and if you leave 8 days early nobody minds".

 

if your read reviews for many airbnb places you actually see a fair  amlunt of commentsfrom peoplethatappearedto have hadlong-stays.

[Bob Fugger]

if you have a suite and would like to get say $1800/mo.for it ($500 more maybe than you could have with long-term renant) can you advertise it on a STVR site but say the minimum is 30 days and $1800?  what i mean is if a couple wants it for only 22 days can you say "well you technically get it for 30 days and $1800 and if you leave 8 days early nobody minds".

 

if your read reviews for many airbnb places you actually see a fair  amlunt of commentsfrom peoplethatappearedto have hadlong-stays.

 

That one bedroom suite on the STVR booking site if well-appointed and in a desirable neighbourhood should net you about $3k per month, before the booking site takes their fee.  Minus utilities and depreciation, and you're still at around 1.5-2x what you would get from a traditional renter.  If allowed to rent by the night, you creep closer to $4k p/m (because you're not discounting to reflect stays >7 days.

 

I wish that we could do this.  Mrs. Fugger & I could afford to retire and become full-time innkeepers, send Little Wee Fugger to a tony private school and still manage to travel a bit.  For the economy, that would open up two well-paying jobs that others could fill.  But Comrade Isitt and Co. couldn't allow the proletariat to ACTUALLY rise up out of mediocrity: it would render Ben irrelevant.

[Matt R.]

We’ve booked our first Airbnb guests into our cabin mid month! Woo!

Matt.

[spanky123]

OK, so we're saying the same thing, I'm just coming at it from an enforcement perspective.  A host just happens to be using an STVR medium - over which the bylaw has absolutely no jurisdiction.

 

Looking at it from that perspective, if you advertise on an STVR site, but set your minimum stay to 30 days, you're not an STVR.  That is, a guest would put in their Check-In date and would be prevented from putting in a Check-Out date that is fewer than 30 days out.  This is possible, I actually just tried this today.  The City would (have to) cease enforcement acton.

 

Arguably, one ought to be able to advertise on one of these sites without a minimum stay and enforcement could only happen if a host accepted a booking of fewer than 30 days.  Because the bylaw is silent on how the unit is marketed and an infraction only occurs when a unit is booked <30 days.  And perhaps, one day, someone will fight that.  I just wouldn't hold my breath.

 

My guess that if you market your STR for less than 30 days then it will be caught by the City spies and flagged. At that point somebody would likely validate the finding and if in fact you only accepted reservations for more than 30 days you would be fine. There may be cases where a guest only stays say 3 weeks but the monthly rate is less so they book and leave early and I assume that would still be ok under the bylaw as long as the owner wasn't intentionally using short stays to try and subvert the 30 day minimum.