Airbnb crackdown comes to Edmonton with proposed bylaw amendment

An Edmonton city councillor wants to restrict short-term rental accommodations in the city, joining a growing number of municipalities seeking limits on short-term rentals as housing affordability worsens.

Councillor Michael Janz is proposing an amendment to Bylaw 20002 (Section 60), the City business bylaw which deals with short-term rental accommodations. Janz’s motion would see short-term rentals restricted to operating no more than 90 days during the year and the property owner remaining on the premises during a guest’s stay.

“Cities across North America are rethinking Short Term Rentals. It’s time that Edmonton does the same. According to the watchdog AirDNA.ca, Edmonton has approximately 4,4000 active listings such as Airbnb or VRBO. And while lobbyists may share the “mom and pop” talking points, data shows that some hosts have as many as 45 properties, hurting affordability and raising rents for everyone else,” Janz’s website says.

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The proposed crackdown comes as the federal government considers measures to encourage cities to limit the supply of Airbnbs as part of its effort to increase the availability of long-term rentals across the country, per The Globe and Mail.

Reducing the number of short-term rentals in cities and towns could free up some much-needed units for locals. Last year, demand for rental units increased at its sharpest rate since 2013, bringing the vacancy rate across the country to a near-historic low.

The average asking price for a rental in Canada reached a record high of $2,117 in August, up $103 since May.

While the federal government doesn’t have the jurisdiction to make something like this happen on its own, it is increasingly using tools like its $4 billion Housing Accelerator Fund to push cities to change their housing policies.

The Alberta Hotel and Lodging Association welcomed Janz’s amendment in a letter earlier this week, highlighting the rise in rental rates, loss of long-term rental housing stock, negative impacts on neighbourhoods, and a housing shortage directly impacting its “members’ workforce crisis.”

“We have been pushing for stronger regulations around short-term rentals for over a decade,” the association wrote.

“The original concept of home sharing promoted by online platforms has been distorted by real estate investors who have taken single-family houses and condominiums out of long-term housing inventory, using them instead for commercial operations.”

Rental prices in Edmonton remain lower than in many parts of the country, according to the latest Rentals.ca report, which pegs the city at number 29 on its list of 35 Canadian cities. Still, prices have seen a 10% increase over last year, with the average one-bedroom apartment now costing Edmontonians $1,279 per month.

“As the housing crisis worsens, across Canada, advocates warn that renters are being left out of the conversation, and now more than ever require enhanced protections. Our first priority as municipalities must be to help keep rental housing affordable,” said Janz.