TOWNSHIP OF ESQUIMALT STAFF REPORT
MEETING DATE: July 15, 2024 Report No. DEV-24-037
TO: Committee of the Whole
FROM: Mikaila Montgomery, Planner and Bill Brown, Director of Development Services
SUBJECT: Short-term rentals: Changes to provincial legislation, Township regulation summary, and request for future direction
RECOMMENDATION:
Recommendation
That the Committee of the Whole recommends to Council that:
1. Staff be provided with direction on the Committee's preferred approach to the regulation of short-term rentals in the Township; and
2. Staff be directed to return to the Committee of the Whole in the fall of 2024 with a report outlining the proposed amendments to the Zoning Bylaw, a draft Stakeholder engagement strategy, and a timeline for adoption and implementation of the proposed amendments.
Body
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The Township of Esquimalt does not currently permit short-term rentals (STRs) but they continue to be offered in Esquimalt on platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO. Following the introduction of B.C.'s Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act (Bill 35), staff received a volume of inquiries related to STRs in Esquimalt. Given the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act (Bill 35), the lack of clear direction in the Zoning Bylaw, 1992, No. 2050, and the demand for commercial STR accommodations, it is recommended that Council review the new legislation and consider the current and future use and regulation of STRs in Esquimalt.
BACKGROUND:
STR market snapshot
The rise of STRs is a result of a shift in business model: from home sharing to commercial operation. Data from 2023 shows that more than 16,000 entire homes are being used as STRs for most of the year in B.C. (Province of B.C.).
According to AirDNA (an online service which tracks STR usage), there are 83 active STR listings in Esquimalt (as of July 2024). AirDNA shows the following STR usage in Esquimalt:
* 77% of STR's are listed on Airbnb, 7% are listed on VRBO, and 16% a...
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