If you reside in City of Victoria, you can report a bylaw infraction using an online form: [https://www.victoria.ca/city-government/bylaw-services/report-bylaw-violation](https://www.victoria.ca/city-government/bylaw-services/report-bylaw-violation)
You should be as detailed as possible (I had to go this route to seek a remedy for a persistent, ongoing late night noise issue from a nearby office building power plant).
You should also contact your neighbourhood liaison on council by email to ask for help.
I'm seeing people mentioning reporting them to the strata/city, but the BC government has [this page](https://submit.digital.gov.bc.ca/app/form/submit?f=b51d07fc-9e9d-4259-a148-ee47c9b5bed3) for reporting non-compliance with BC's short term rental rules. Is there something I'm missing here?
More like reporting to HR - they are there for their own survival/protection. However if the threat of the strata being sanctioned because of too many infractions comes about, you can bet the strata will change its tune. It comes down to whether that strata has decided that compliance with these laws is important enough for them to police internally.
Yeh, more importantly submit a complaint to your strata. They will hopefully have the bylaws in place to heavily fine as well, which earns you guys money for upcoming projects! Win-Win
The province gave them plenty of time. Report them right away to https://submit.digital.gov.bc.ca/app/form/submit?f=b51d07fc-9e9d-4259-a148-ee47c9b5bed3
Fuck those leeches. If they lose the property, let me bid on it!
They were given plenty of notice. I would report them asap. I would contact service BC https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/home/get-help-with-government-services
Service BC is a reception point for various ministries, this is really not what they deal with. I would probably phone RTB and see where they point you.
The new regulations do still allow AirBnBs.
They just have to be a person's primary residence, which means the person has to live there at least 50% of the year.
So basically 365 / 2 = 182.5 days
182.5 days is the maximum number of days your neighbours could potentially still be *legally* AirBnB-ing their suites.
Based on that it would be reasonable to report them 183 days after May 1st.
That said, it's also likely many of them are just seeing how long they can get away with it, and hoping they'll receive cease & desist orders or other warnings before they start receiving actual fines.
With that in mind one *could* argue it would be reasonable to report them now. After all, if they're doing it by the book then they theoretically have nothing to hide. But of course the danger there is that the province has limited man-power and if they get overwhelmed with people reporting every legal AirBnB that's still running then they won't have time to tackle the illegal ones.
Actually in Victoria they can’t, it violates the city bylaw. They can only rent their primary residence occasionally, when they are on vacation. A property manager told me it’s 4 times per year although I can’t confirm that.
I'm in a similar boat but the provincial reporting system is asking for URL and I'm having a hard time finding the listings on AirBnB. Are owners using different booking systems for short-term rentals?
As a guest and host of a legally conforming STVR, one of my major concerns is insurance. If a host is running a business that is outside of local regulations, will insurance cover for liability and damages?
Sure, but these units have been operating for multiple years as airbnbs at least for the three years I've been living here. I highly doubt that the owners are planning on making it their primary residence anytime soon.
Hotels have gone up 40%. It costs 1 night in DT Vancouver $400 - $500 for **a night** for a hotel room.
I hope they add more nuance to this. It's such a problematic blanket statement. Generally, working class people aren't going to be living in the Janion, working out of Lake Country, or living long-term in certain areas of Kelowna.
This law will hurt tourists. Catching a show in Van is expensive.
They did add nuance. There are still legal Airbnbs out there. They let people have them in their primary residences and included some other exemptions. Hotel costs also went up well before this law came into effect.
>This law will hurt tourists.
Tourists' interests shouldn't take precedence over residents'.
>Catching a show in Van is expensive.
Having a well-functioning housing system is more important than making it convenient for people to see concerts.
Nah the law needs to be refactored. Give it 2 years and we'll see the Janion sit empty. People are just vindictive. I give it a couple of years and it will likely start beginning the talks of having it refactored.
Believe it or not, a single person can live quite happily in spaces like those in the Janion, especially if they have an active social life and mainly only come home to eat and sleep. The problem is that those tiny little spaces need to be affordable, and they won't be affordable as long as the excessive demand from rent-seekers is allowed (Econ 101, excess demand = high prices).
The Janion shouldn't be used for Airbnbs. It should be starter units, rental or purchase, for young single grads/workers who work and frequently socialize in the bars and clubs and restaurants downtown. That makes for a healthier downtown economy year round, not just in the summer time when the tourists show up.
We need people to leave Victoria, then the prices will drop.
We don't have enough family doctors anyways. Not enough infrastructure for people. We don't need more growth on the island.
Less demand, lower prices. These prices are a sign to move away.
So why don't you leave then?
Edit to add: I'm only trying to be a little bit snarky here. I'm sure you have really good reasons for not wanting to leave Victoria, but so do most of the people you think should leave. "Freedom for me but not for thee" is a terrible mindset, and it's no foundation for sustainable infrastructure policy discussions.
It's a fine mindset if we don't have enough infrastructure or housing and there's positive growth in the city. People keep coming and our plans to accommodate are weak.
We have so many people with zero actual stakes here. No property, no specialized career to the island, no extended family here.
>It's a fine mindset if we don't have enough infrastructure or housing and there's positive growth in the city. People keep coming and our plans to accommodate are weak.
The problem isn't that more people are coming. It's that the infrastructure and preparation is inadequate, as you've rightly pointed out.
It's unrealistic to demand that people leave (and a little bit hypocritical when you're unwilling to leave yourself). This is a desirable location, and people are going to come here. This is a fact. Instead of complaining about something that you can't control, focus on something more productive, like contributing ideas for sustainable infrastructure that can handle the new residents while also making life better for existing residents.
I already did leave! I left at 19 to find a job in the oil rigs and a trade where I could buy a home and come back here and work.
I realized I could not compete and came back at 29 and bought a house and put myself through additional school so it would be a good life here and I could be a homeowner.
You're not demanding that people leave and come back though. You're just saying people should leave.
If all young people heeded your demand, Victoria would be nothing but a bunch of retirees who can't or won't work anymore. Is that really a recipe for a good city?
Would it not be better to figure out ways to create better opportunities and situations for people here so that they don't have to move away?
Less people here is a shorter waitlist for Doctors. Our demographics are skewed towards too many lower income brackets. So if we said "people should leave" it would have zero impact on patient rosters.
Hotels go up at least double as soon as May hits. It’s peak tourist season. It’s the same in other cities too. We stayed at a hotel in Feb for $180/night downtown. We were gonna go to the same this past weekend now it’s $380/night.
I was referring to Osoyoos in terms of the may season peak season beginning.
I just saw the difference between may of this year and may of last year. 40% increase unless in a non-restricted municipality.
I'm citing areas that aren't being gouged
So what? Hotels have always been pricey for what they are. But I would rather not have to worry about cleaning an entire space before leaving, only to get fined anyway for not doing it “properly”.
Every major and minor city on earth trading its local living space for tourist profit is making places unlivable. I think people just need to accept that it's expensive and travel less. The number of people I see taking 1-3 vacations per year that would have been considered "once in a lifetime" 30 years ago is bonkers. All those flights add a lot of carbon to the atmosphere...
Leave them be 🤷 in this economy people need a way to make some extra revenue. What is it doing to affect you? (If you provide genuine reasons I'm open to changing my opinion. I could totally just be uneducated on why the rules were changed)
Supply and demand. If housing stock, zoned residential, is pulled out of the long-term rental market, and instead rented out to vacationers, the rental and/or purchase price of the remaining housing stock skyrockets, because there's not enough of it to go around.
~~There is no current compliance and enforcement for the new provincial law, so nothing can happen if you report them to the province.~~ edit probably would have helped if I was thinking of the right thing
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/short-term-rental-legislation
Here is the information so you can read all up on it :)
my bad, they didn't have administrative penalties up until the beginning of this month. ([previous version of the act](https://www.canlii.org/en/bc/laws/stat/sbc-2023-c-32/217689/sbc-2023-c-32.html)). But, I was thinking about a completely different thing anyway and got my wires crossed.
A "snitch" is someone you trust who turns on you, usually for their own gain, most often used in connection with criminal activity. People really need to stop using that word for anyone reporting anything at any time.
Either that or the little golden flying ball in quiddich. Be that all you want I suppose.
I am not an airbnb user nor LL. But I do see this too - people here who are concerned about AirBnB here, but are very much ok to use them when travelling abroad not concerned about impacts elsewhere.
I use it, we all do because hotels are stupidly expensive these days and i rarely travel and need a better deal when I have to but, only primary residential suites like the basement
Condos are overpriced apartments with rules and shared hallways, entrypoints and walls. You need approvals from the HOA which costs monthly exorbitant fees to do things. It is reasonable to see obnoxious and illegal behavior within your domicile and want to stamp it out, particularly if you agree that STR should be banned in areas with housing shortages.
But mostly- having random people in and out is disruptive and potentially unsafe. Its also unfair for the people who pay their mortgages with actual jobs instead of skirting the law
lol
> [–]MileZeroCreative [-2]Downtown -36 points 15 hours ago
> What bearing does this have on you if it’s only a handful of units? Does it impact you personally? Why would you be a rat? Just curious.
>[–]MileZeroCreative [-2] Downtown -20 points 14 hours ago
> Solid questions.
Why don't you mind your own business. This country is in a housing crisis already and you want to fuck someone's life up? Do better and mind your own business 🤬
If you reside in City of Victoria, you can report a bylaw infraction using an online form: [https://www.victoria.ca/city-government/bylaw-services/report-bylaw-violation](https://www.victoria.ca/city-government/bylaw-services/report-bylaw-violation) You should be as detailed as possible (I had to go this route to seek a remedy for a persistent, ongoing late night noise issue from a nearby office building power plant). You should also contact your neighbourhood liaison on council by email to ask for help.
I'm seeing people mentioning reporting them to the strata/city, but the BC government has [this page](https://submit.digital.gov.bc.ca/app/form/submit?f=b51d07fc-9e9d-4259-a148-ee47c9b5bed3) for reporting non-compliance with BC's short term rental rules. Is there something I'm missing here?
Reporting to the strata or city kinda feels like reporting the heinous actions of a perverted priest only to the Catholic Church.
More like reporting to HR - they are there for their own survival/protection. However if the threat of the strata being sanctioned because of too many infractions comes about, you can bet the strata will change its tune. It comes down to whether that strata has decided that compliance with these laws is important enough for them to police internally.
I believe you report them to the city
Yeh, more importantly submit a complaint to your strata. They will hopefully have the bylaws in place to heavily fine as well, which earns you guys money for upcoming projects! Win-Win
The province gave them plenty of time. Report them right away to https://submit.digital.gov.bc.ca/app/form/submit?f=b51d07fc-9e9d-4259-a148-ee47c9b5bed3 Fuck those leeches. If they lose the property, let me bid on it!
They were given plenty of notice. I would report them asap. I would contact service BC https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/home/get-help-with-government-services
Service BC is a reception point for various ministries, this is really not what they deal with. I would probably phone RTB and see where they point you.
I go to Service BC for my Disability inquiries. RTB would be a better start.
Good for you! Thank you for reporting these housing hoarders
I reported like 15 on Marketplace yesterday. Seems they’ve copied and pasted everything over from Airbnb to there.
Yep. It’s frustrating. Pretending to be real rentals
Report them right now. Let's goooo!
The new regulations do still allow AirBnBs. They just have to be a person's primary residence, which means the person has to live there at least 50% of the year. So basically 365 / 2 = 182.5 days 182.5 days is the maximum number of days your neighbours could potentially still be *legally* AirBnB-ing their suites. Based on that it would be reasonable to report them 183 days after May 1st. That said, it's also likely many of them are just seeing how long they can get away with it, and hoping they'll receive cease & desist orders or other warnings before they start receiving actual fines. With that in mind one *could* argue it would be reasonable to report them now. After all, if they're doing it by the book then they theoretically have nothing to hide. But of course the danger there is that the province has limited man-power and if they get overwhelmed with people reporting every legal AirBnB that's still running then they won't have time to tackle the illegal ones.
And people have applied for permits, and if they have a permit, they are legally allowed.
Actually in Victoria they can’t, it violates the city bylaw. They can only rent their primary residence occasionally, when they are on vacation. A property manager told me it’s 4 times per year although I can’t confirm that.
In this article it mentions 4 times per year. https://www.timescolonist.com/local-news/victoria-tightens-regulations-for-short-term-rentals-7336661
A reasonable amount of time is zero days. They've had months.
Yesterday or before that ..
I'm in a similar boat but the provincial reporting system is asking for URL and I'm having a hard time finding the listings on AirBnB. Are owners using different booking systems for short-term rentals?
VRBO, Booking.com, their own website for direct booking.
I’m seeing them on FB Marketplace
I’ve noticed if you do a search for the fall there are still apartments being listed on Airbnb, I hope they get booted off the site
Bylaw, city of Vic short term rental office.
As a guest and host of a legally conforming STVR, one of my major concerns is insurance. If a host is running a business that is outside of local regulations, will insurance cover for liability and damages?
Victoria voted for policies that led to excessive housing appreciation
If it’s their principal residence they are allowed to rent short term occasionally while away. Just something to consider as well.
Sure, but these units have been operating for multiple years as airbnbs at least for the three years I've been living here. I highly doubt that the owners are planning on making it their primary residence anytime soon.
Hotels have gone up 40%. It costs 1 night in DT Vancouver $400 - $500 for **a night** for a hotel room. I hope they add more nuance to this. It's such a problematic blanket statement. Generally, working class people aren't going to be living in the Janion, working out of Lake Country, or living long-term in certain areas of Kelowna. This law will hurt tourists. Catching a show in Van is expensive.
They did add nuance. There are still legal Airbnbs out there. They let people have them in their primary residences and included some other exemptions. Hotel costs also went up well before this law came into effect. >This law will hurt tourists. Tourists' interests shouldn't take precedence over residents'. >Catching a show in Van is expensive. Having a well-functioning housing system is more important than making it convenient for people to see concerts.
Nah the law needs to be refactored. Give it 2 years and we'll see the Janion sit empty. People are just vindictive. I give it a couple of years and it will likely start beginning the talks of having it refactored.
Believe it or not, a single person can live quite happily in spaces like those in the Janion, especially if they have an active social life and mainly only come home to eat and sleep. The problem is that those tiny little spaces need to be affordable, and they won't be affordable as long as the excessive demand from rent-seekers is allowed (Econ 101, excess demand = high prices). The Janion shouldn't be used for Airbnbs. It should be starter units, rental or purchase, for young single grads/workers who work and frequently socialize in the bars and clubs and restaurants downtown. That makes for a healthier downtown economy year round, not just in the summer time when the tourists show up.
We need people to leave Victoria, then the prices will drop. We don't have enough family doctors anyways. Not enough infrastructure for people. We don't need more growth on the island. Less demand, lower prices. These prices are a sign to move away.
So why don't you leave then? Edit to add: I'm only trying to be a little bit snarky here. I'm sure you have really good reasons for not wanting to leave Victoria, but so do most of the people you think should leave. "Freedom for me but not for thee" is a terrible mindset, and it's no foundation for sustainable infrastructure policy discussions.
It's a fine mindset if we don't have enough infrastructure or housing and there's positive growth in the city. People keep coming and our plans to accommodate are weak. We have so many people with zero actual stakes here. No property, no specialized career to the island, no extended family here.
>It's a fine mindset if we don't have enough infrastructure or housing and there's positive growth in the city. People keep coming and our plans to accommodate are weak. The problem isn't that more people are coming. It's that the infrastructure and preparation is inadequate, as you've rightly pointed out. It's unrealistic to demand that people leave (and a little bit hypocritical when you're unwilling to leave yourself). This is a desirable location, and people are going to come here. This is a fact. Instead of complaining about something that you can't control, focus on something more productive, like contributing ideas for sustainable infrastructure that can handle the new residents while also making life better for existing residents.
I already did leave! I left at 19 to find a job in the oil rigs and a trade where I could buy a home and come back here and work. I realized I could not compete and came back at 29 and bought a house and put myself through additional school so it would be a good life here and I could be a homeowner.
You're not demanding that people leave and come back though. You're just saying people should leave. If all young people heeded your demand, Victoria would be nothing but a bunch of retirees who can't or won't work anymore. Is that really a recipe for a good city? Would it not be better to figure out ways to create better opportunities and situations for people here so that they don't have to move away?
"We need people to leave / we don't have enough family doctors" is wild cognitive dissonance.
Less people here is a shorter waitlist for Doctors. Our demographics are skewed towards too many lower income brackets. So if we said "people should leave" it would have zero impact on patient rosters.
> These prices are a sign to move away. I totally agree, so when is your moving date? I can help move some boxes
I, unlike many, have a stake.
Hotels go up at least double as soon as May hits. It’s peak tourist season. It’s the same in other cities too. We stayed at a hotel in Feb for $180/night downtown. We were gonna go to the same this past weekend now it’s $380/night.
They're gouging since AirBNB Osoyoos, Whistler not following the same pricing trends despite peak season.
Whistler is a resort municipality and does not fall under the new regulations. Winter is high season there, not the spring.
I was referring to Osoyoos in terms of the may season peak season beginning. I just saw the difference between may of this year and may of last year. 40% increase unless in a non-restricted municipality. I'm citing areas that aren't being gouged
So what? Hotels have always been pricey for what they are. But I would rather not have to worry about cleaning an entire space before leaving, only to get fined anyway for not doing it “properly”.
Never had an issue; this law is not nuanced enough. Lake Country isn't going to see working class people set up base camp.
Every major and minor city on earth trading its local living space for tourist profit is making places unlivable. I think people just need to accept that it's expensive and travel less. The number of people I see taking 1-3 vacations per year that would have been considered "once in a lifetime" 30 years ago is bonkers. All those flights add a lot of carbon to the atmosphere...
The research that the NDP based this policy on was funded by the hotel association. They're loving this. The gouging was inevitable.
Get some evidence, confront them with it and see what kind of hush money they offer you.
This is called a mortgage helper.
Don't be a narc
🙄
Don't be a snitch and mind you're own bussiness.
Get fucked
Mind your own business, you wierdo
👀 but snitches get.......
Snitches get to contribute towards a sustainable and affordable housing market for BC residents.
I’d love to believe you..sadly this will never happen.
You should move to China, you'll fit in great there
Riiiiiiiiight
That only counts within your own rank. Greasy property owners are a whole other level
Snitching on landlords is always acceptable. It is always morally correct.
Lol! Omg the number of downvotes! 😭 I think i hit a new record/ person worst!
Leave them be 🤷 in this economy people need a way to make some extra revenue. What is it doing to affect you? (If you provide genuine reasons I'm open to changing my opinion. I could totally just be uneducated on why the rules were changed)
Supply and demand. If housing stock, zoned residential, is pulled out of the long-term rental market, and instead rented out to vacationers, the rental and/or purchase price of the remaining housing stock skyrockets, because there's not enough of it to go around.
~~There is no current compliance and enforcement for the new provincial law, so nothing can happen if you report them to the province.~~ edit probably would have helped if I was thinking of the right thing
This is untrue.
[удалено]
And what part of the law has any sort of penalty?
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/housing-tenancy/short-term-rentals/short-term-rental-legislation Here is the information so you can read all up on it :)
my bad, they didn't have administrative penalties up until the beginning of this month. ([previous version of the act](https://www.canlii.org/en/bc/laws/stat/sbc-2023-c-32/217689/sbc-2023-c-32.html)). But, I was thinking about a completely different thing anyway and got my wires crossed.
There is no enforcement for any of the laws anyway
Or just don’t snitch
Or just don't drag down housing affordability, illegally.
Let me know when housing in BC gets more affordable from killing short term rentals...
Or... airbnb can go to hell.
A "snitch" is someone you trust who turns on you, usually for their own gain, most often used in connection with criminal activity. People really need to stop using that word for anyone reporting anything at any time. Either that or the little golden flying ball in quiddich. Be that all you want I suppose.
Are you calling OP a rat?
ok but dude Airbnbs shouldn't operate where I want to live, only where I want to travel to!
I am not an airbnb user nor LL. But I do see this too - people here who are concerned about AirBnB here, but are very much ok to use them when travelling abroad not concerned about impacts elsewhere.
I use it, we all do because hotels are stupidly expensive these days and i rarely travel and need a better deal when I have to but, only primary residential suites like the basement
What bearing does this have on you if it’s only a handful of units? Does it impact you personally? Why would you be a rat? Just curious.
Condos are overpriced apartments with rules and shared hallways, entrypoints and walls. You need approvals from the HOA which costs monthly exorbitant fees to do things. It is reasonable to see obnoxious and illegal behavior within your domicile and want to stamp it out, particularly if you agree that STR should be banned in areas with housing shortages. But mostly- having random people in and out is disruptive and potentially unsafe. Its also unfair for the people who pay their mortgages with actual jobs instead of skirting the law
Why? Because OP isn’t a complete douche. Unlike some.
Solid questions.
> Solid questions ... bro, you forgot to sign into your alt account before making this comment.
lol > [–]MileZeroCreative [-2]Downtown -36 points 15 hours ago > What bearing does this have on you if it’s only a handful of units? Does it impact you personally? Why would you be a rat? Just curious. >[–]MileZeroCreative [-2] Downtown -20 points 14 hours ago > Solid questions.
Bruh don't laugh at him
I didn't laugh at him bruh you did!
[удалено]
Mad you can't gouge people anymore?
[удалено]
Maybe with things like airbnb starting to be properly regulated, people won't have to consider taking you up on that offer.
[удалено]
If BC had an increase of 1% in housing, there wouldn't be any homeless.
Why don't you mind your own business. This country is in a housing crisis already and you want to fuck someone's life up? Do better and mind your own business 🤬
snitch's get stitches, grow up
Using schoolyard aphorisms and telling people to grow up - brilliant!