VANCOUVER—A fight underway in Vancouver could, for the first time in Canada, reveal how much the prevalence of short-term rentals is making it harder and pricier for those looking to find a home.
“The argument that Airbnb and city both use to justify having Airbnbs in Vancouver in the first place is it’s just people renting out their spare rooms or people renting out their places when they go on vacation,” Rezel said.Instead, he argues, it is a full-time industry for some who are renting out entire houses and suites year-round.
The city, which collects the information as part of its regulation of the operations, initially refused to release it. The city said doing so could endanger the lives and security of short-term rental operators. It said the office breached the rules of “procedural fairness and natural justice” by not providing notice to short-term rental operators of the decision, among other arguments.