2022 R17 – Enforcement Tools for Short-Term Rentals

Whereas according to the June 2021 Report of the Joint UBCM-Province Advisory Group on Short-Term Rentals, the short-term rental industry has seen significant growth since the arrival of online accommodation platforms such that effective regulation of short-term rental activity is necessary to ensure community economic benefits of the industry are balanced with reducing impacts of concern such as long-term rental housing availability, affordability and neighbourhood livability;

And whereas many popular vacation areas lie outside of municipal boundaries in electoral areas;

And whereas enforcement tools to regulate short-term rentals (STRs) are more limited for regional districts than they are for municipalities;

And whereas the recommendations in the June 2021 report do not adequately consider the urgency of the matter nor the practical barriers to the implementation of business licensing in electoral areas:

Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the provincial government to develop and implement short-term rental enforcement solutions for all local governments, such as broadening authority to enforce compliance through simplified ticketing procedures, collection of evidence and the establishment of proof based on online investigation of accommodation listings, and expanding options to compel payment of unpaid fines through alternative mechanisms such as applying uncollected ticket fines to property taxes.