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How do YOU feel about the licencing fees and restrictions on what kind of accommodation you can rent out on AirBnB or VRBO? Tonight is your turn to speak on the matter, at a public hearing. The City of Kelowna is poised to adopt by-law changes that will legalize these kinds of rentals, but licensing comes at a cost and chances are the suite in your renovated garage or carriage house will not qualify.
Just how to regulate short term rentals has been a hot button issue since it first came before council. The correspondence has been piling up. "Some saying it's too permissive," said Community Planning Supervisor Laura Bentley, "some saying it's too restrictive."
At tonight's public hearing the proposal before council includes a $345/yr licensing fee for a short term rentals, and in most cases it has to be the main living area of the home that's up for rent. Not a separate space like a carriage home or or suite. Some have argued that those are some of the most popular style of short term rental. "That's certainly one of the things we've heard and one of the challenges that we've faced in developing the regulations," said Bentley. But one of the goals of the by-law is to protect the availability of long term accommodation. "Those types of units are also one of our more common unit types for long term renters."
And while vacancy rates in Kelowna have increased, they're still lower than planners would like to see. "Last summer "Our vacancy rate is now at 1.9 %," Bentley said. "So our target rate for a healthy vacancy rate would be 3 to 5%."
Tonight's public hearing is scheduled for 6:00 in council chambers on Water Street.
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