Calgary hotels pushing back against lack of Airbnb regulations

The lack of regulations surrounding Airbnb rentals in Calgary has left the Calgary Hotel Association (CHA) calling for stronger governmental oversight.

Airbnb, the San Francisco-based company that allows homeowners to rent their property, rooms, or beds out to people through an app for short-term stays, has gone beyond its initial purpose of true home sharing in Calgary, a release from CHA argues.

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The release stated that roughly 30% of Airbnb units are rented out for more than 90 days a year in Calgary, and that 5% are rented for more than 180 days — turning these Airbnb owners into commercial operators.

“We fully support an open and fair competitive market for short-term rentals,” said Peggy Athans, Executive Director of the CHA, in the release.

“But Calgary’s short-term rental industry operates with limited regulation. To protect consumers, and treat everyone fairly, it’s important that government put all commercial operators – including those who are operating as such on Airbnb – on a level playing field.”

The CHA — alongside the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) — has put forward a regulatory framework that they say all levels of government across the country should implement.

This framework includes the application of the following regulatory tools:

• Registration of host and collection of fees
• Registration of platform and collection of fees
• Restriction of short-term rentals to principal residences
• Cap on usage to less than 90 days
• Health and safety standards
• Reporting requirements
• Taxation/levies collected
• Enforcement/penalties

“Striking the right balance will protect Calgary communities and ensure that visitors continue to experience a safe and enjoyable Calgary stay,” said Athans in the release.

More information on the proposed guideline can be found at fairrules.ca.