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Kelowna's increasingly desperate rental housing market is well documented and has some worried the city could end up in a situation similar to Vancouver's high price, low vacancy housing predicament.
It's a predicament that is reflected in Vancouver's short-term rental market as well.
Maybe the best example of this is the growing popularity of camper vans being rented on Airbnb.
The word "camper van" may infer that it's an option for a cheap night's stay, but at $85 a night this parked van is probably the most expensive room without a toilet you'll ever find.
The popularity of the Pickle, which has a 4.5 out of 5-star rating on Airbnb, is likely because of the trendy Kitsilano neighborhood its visitors get to stay in.
Could the tourist trap of Kelowna's beautiful summers make it the next city to see the rise of the camper van-bnb?
Researching on Airbnb today, staying in Kelowna's Pandosy Village or Downtown core during any of the summer's long weekends is already very expensive.
These were Airbnb's first three options for two visitors looking to stay near the beach in Kelowna during Center of Gravity weekend (July 28th-30th):
This is a screen shot of Airbnb's pricing grid in the Lower Mission for the same Center of Gravity weekend.
Now bargain hunters will likely find a better deal without much hassle, but the high price for beds in trendy neighborhoods may create just the right environment for Kelowna to see its own market of urban camper van rentals.
Would you consider a short-term rental in a camper van during the high priced tourist season? Let us know in the comments below!
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