Revelstoke proposes crackdown on illegal vacation rentals starting September 30
A new report from City of Revelstoke staff proposes active enforcement of unlicensed vacation rentals and a five per cent cap on legal operations as the city enters its winter rental crunch.
City councillors will debate the issue, that is a growing headache for resort communities across Canada, at the city council meeting on Tuesday, September 13.
Previously bylaw officers acted on a complaints-only basis, but the move to active enforcement is one of a few measures proposed to crack down on the issue. If Revelstoke City Council approves this move, September 30 will be the last date before active enforcement begins. This means, presumably, that city staff will start cracking down on the many vacation rentals that are advertised online, but haven’t been approved by the city.
The golden era of non-regulated vacation rentals appears to be passing as the issues around taxation continue to be reviewed by the province. The surge in popularity of this type of accommodation in Revelstoke has taken potential rental properties off the market and possibly impacted on local commercial occupancy rates.
Vacation rentals are a popular side business for residents in Revelstoke. Photo: Screenshot Airbnb
Another recommendation that city councillors will review is for the city to implement a five per cent cap, or 125 bedrooms with a maximum occupancy of 250 people, of legal vacation rentals allowed to operate in the city.
“There is a portion of the tourist accommodation market that is looking specifically for vacation rental accommodation,” manager of development services Dean Strachan said in a city report.
“This market is not likely to find desired accommodation in the community if a vacation rental home is not available, they will instead look to alternate resort destinations where this form of accommodation is available.”
Taking into account current vacation rental rezoning applications with those that have been approved, there would be 51 bedrooms with a total of 102 people legally operating Revelstoke. This means only 74 more bedrooms, with a maximum of 148 people will be accepted if this goes ahead.
The agenda for council’s Sept. 13 meeting has three new vacation rental applications.
The estimated number of illegal vacation rental bedrooms within the city is about 300. The city estimated 60 vacation rentals were operating in September 2015, which increased to about 100 in the 2015/16 winter.
Read the full council report here.
Read previous articles on vacation rentals in the Revelstoke Mountaineer’ s gallery of stories.
Vacation Rental definition – Licensed vacation rental means the licensed use of a residential single detached dwelling or a licensed secondary suite as temporary lodging (less than 30 days at any one time) for paying guests.
Vacation rental use is restricted to a total of no more than 120 days per calendar year. The maximum occupancy shall be calculated based on two adults per licensed bedroom with a total maximum occupancy of eight people. No signage shall be permitted.
The property owner is to provide a contact number for themselves or a representative located within the city and available 24 hours a day. The contact number is to appear on the business license posted in the vacation rental unit.
The annual business license fee for vacation rental units is $200 plus $5 per licensed bedroom.
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