Everything to know about booking a BC summer getaway with new Airbnb restrictions

A new set of short-term rental restrictions are taking effect in BC this spring, and they may impact vacations as travellers look to Airbnb cabin rentals for a summer getaway.

Daily Hive spoke with Nathan Rotman, Airbnb’s policy lead for the northeast US and Canada, about what travellers can expect when the new rules kick in on May 1.

“We’re in discussions with the province to better understand what the regulations are going to look like,” he said. “I’d say it’s very early days here.”

In less than three months, Airbnb hosts and other property owners will only be able to rent to short-term vacationers if the home is their principal residence. Only a few resort-focused communities, including Whistler, are exempt.

The rules are meant to cut down on the number of multi-home hosts. Under the new rules, people who live in one home and rent out a second one on Airbnb won’t be allowed to accept short-term guests.

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How many Airbnb properties will leave the platform?

Rotman says it’s too early to tell how many hosts will have to take their listings down once the legislation comes into effect.

One host in the Okanagan has already made their displeasure clear, changing their Kelowna condo’s description to say stays of 30 days or more will be accepted.

“Short-term accommodation rental is illegal in our socialist paradise,” the listing read before being removed.

Will hosts cancel on guests this summer?

Some guests who’ve booked stays months in advance may find their host no longer meets BC’s requirements this summer. Again, Rotman said it’s too early to tell which properties will need to leave and which will stay.

“It is really too soon to say,” he said.

BC’s Ministry of Housing advised guests to communicate directly with their host about whether the rental will be available this summer.

“No one should be rushing to cancel a booking today without talking to their host,” the Ministry said. “It’s up to hosts to ensure that they’re following the rules – it’s not the responsibility of people booking.”

Will there be enough places to stay this summer to keep up with demand?

In Rotman’s view, one of Airbnb’s greatest strengths is allowing guests to stay where there aren’t any traditional hotels. About two-thirds of Airbnbs in BC are in areas with no hotels nearby, he told Daily Hive. That’s important for people who aren’t traditional vacationers — people visiting relatives, perhaps.

The Property Rights Association of BC has already voiced its concern that the new restrictions will make it harder for people to find places to stay, hampering the tourism industry.

At this point, there are still plenty of available Airbnb and hotel accommodations at popular spots around the province this summer, but there’s no telling how soon those stays will get snapped up.

The BC Hotel Association declined to comment for this story.

Are the new Airbnb restrictions having the desired effect?

When the provincial government announced the new rules, it said there were nearly 30,000 short-term rental listings across the province — and the abundance was impacting British Columbians’ ability to find stable and affordable long-term rental housing.

“The number of short-term rentals in BC has ballooned in recent years, removing thousands of long-term homes from the market. That’s why we’re taking strong action to rein in profit-driven mini-hotel operators, create new enforcement tools, and return homes to the people who need them,” Premier David Eby said in October.

Since then, some Airbnb operators have already put their short-term rental properties up for sale on the real estate market. One condo owner in Coal Harbour didn’t even stop to take new pictures — they used Airbnb screenshots on their real estate listing.

Metro Vancouver’s rental market has also seen price dips this winter and a flush of furnished rentals added to the market. But experts say it’s too early to tell if that’s due to the new Airbnb restrictions or just the usual winter seasonality of the market as short-term rentals seek longer-term tenants outside of tourist season.

As for Airbnb, it maintains the BC government is exaggerating its role in the province’s housing crisis.

“I worry that this is scapegoating one industry,” Rotman said. “We think that the provinces created a very cumbersome environment far outside of the global standard.”

But the Ministry of Housing remained confident the restrictions are necessary to protect affordability in BC.

“The Province recognizes that the principal residence requirement, and legislation broadly, may affect some homeowners – but today in B.C. there are too many people who can’t find a place to live. British Columbians need more units brought back to the long-term market so they can find an affordable place to call home.”