Could this Bellingham rent and home share program work in B.C.? | Daily Hive

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The concept of rent affordability and rental space is always a hot topic in Metro Vancouver and across B.C., and our neighbours in Bellingham have just introduced a new program to help renters and homeowners.

Bellingham has partnered with a company called Nesterly, which specializes in homesharing. It matches home-share hosts with compatible renters. Bellingham announced the partnership earlier this month.

In its description of its services, Nesterly’s website says, “Share a home with someone you can trust for over 1 month stays. Renters can lend a hand for discounted rent.”

Imagery on the Nesterly website makes it seem like the service is geared to match older, senior-aged homeowners with younger renters, though that isn’t a rule.

Nesterly

One of the advantages of Nesterly, as stated by the City of Bellingham, is that the company handles the “practicalities,” including user verification, background checks, automated payments, and customizable rent agreements.

What’s the catch?

For starters, folks who are hosting on Nesterly have to pay a one-time booking fee of $95 to $195 plus a 2.5 per cent fee of monthly rent for platform use and customer support.

“This program is open to all homeowners in Whatcom County who have an extra private bedroom and are open to sharing their home for a month or more. Anyone who is a resident of Bellingham or Whatcom County and is over 18 years of age may sign up to participate,” Bellingham states.

Bellingham hosts have to own their home and must be living in the home as a primary residence, not entirely unlike how Airbnb functions in B.C. today under the new regulations. The Bellingham website says leases are typically a few months to one year.

Some of the benefits listed by Bellingham include shared housing costs, shared chores, a sense of security, a stronger sense of connection to the community, and a way to help support Bellingham’s housing needs.

Bellingham also describes how it’s different from Airbnb.

“Unlike short-term rental platforms, home sharing offers the opportunity for homeowners to help provide long-term housing options in our existing neighborhoods by offering extra bedrooms available in their home for rent.”

The community-focused approach is also very different from the more vacation-style rental service that is Airbnb. Additionally, the screening process is a lot more in-depth with Nesterly.

Bellingham is also offering hosts who rent at affordable rates a bonus.

“To increase your chances of receiving a booking request, price your home share affordably. Hosts in Bellingham who list their rooms for $600/month or less will receive a Civic Leader Badge on their profile, which is the surest way to get the attention of interested guests,” the City states.

The Ministry of Housing’s thoughts on Nesterly

We wondered what the B.C. Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs thought about Nesterly and asked the ministry if we could see solutions like this in B.C.

Surprisingly, the ministry said we’re already seeing similar platforms being used in B.C. and that it is supportive of “safe, online solutions to help homeowners with additional space, matching them with suitable renters to find housing that meets their needs.”

One service the ministry mentioned is Happipad, which is a Kelowna-based company. It operates quite similarly to Nesterly.

Happipad is described as a private network for “community-driven housing,” and it has listings in Vancouver and Burnaby as well as other Canadian cities.

“We firmly believe that fostering compatibility among housemates not only alleviates financial burdens but also plays a pivotal role in nurturing meaningful friendships and cultivating an inclusive society,” Happipad’s website says.

The ministry said that the Province’s focus is on helping people across B.C. find housing that fits their needs and budgets.

“There’s no one approach that can achieve this – and we need all levels of government involved. It’s great to see work like this being done through partnerships between local governments and private companies,” the ministry added.

Do you think more services like Nesterly in Bellingham could be useful in B.C.? Would you use a service like this as a homeowner or renter? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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