Articles
When good ideas get stomped on by deep pockets
In the 1920s when radio stations started playing songs, record companies protested. They wanted business to continue as they designed it, where you had to buy the song from them if you wanted to hear it. So they tried to stop the radio stations. What they didn’t foresee was how radio would catapult their artists into the spotlight, offering massive free promotion. The result? The birth of the modern music industry…. Read More
What are the new short term rental regulations in BC and why are people concerned about them? People are asking “Why are there no air bnbs in British Columbia?”
On May 1st, 2024 most vacation rentals by owner will no longer exist in British Columbia due to the BC NDP’s Short Term Rental Accommodations Act.
The good news – the government is taking steps to make sure that illegal short term rentals are not promoted. The bad news… Read More
Widely quoted by government legislators, “McGill Study” Used to Ban Short Term Rentals Disavowed
The pivotal document used by the BC NDP as the basis for its legislative ban on single unit short term rentals, referred to the as “The McGill Study” has been disowned by the University who has clarified that the study was authored by a professor in a purely freelance capacity, funded directly by the BC Hotel Association. … Read More
BC Government made major policy changes based on erroneous assumptions with huge consequences for local small businesses and BC families
In January 2023, the City of Victoria (CoV) passed a motion to “encourage housing and affordability”1, the beginning of a campaign to lobby the BC government to revoke the operational rights of 634 legally non-conforming (LNC) Short-Term Rentals (STRs) within the core tourism area of Downtown Victoriai. In July, CoV staff shared their analysis with Councilii, alleging these LNC units removed rental units from housing stock and caused a substantial rise in long-term rental prices. The analysis solidified the City’s advocacy to revoke the rights of LNC units to operate as transient accommodations. However, the analysis was based on biased information and significant arithmetic errors. … Read More
Hotel Room Prices Surge In Communities Where Short Term Rental Accommodations Are Being Legislated Out
There have been many questions raised about the upcoming ban on short term rentals (STR’s).
Now you can also add in unforeseen consequences… in particular, the effects on tourism.
Less total rooms likely means less total tourists but equally concerning should be the rise in hotel room rates when supply decreases. … Read More