Vancouver residents find loopholes in city’s short-term rental rules

Calls are growing for more clarity from the City of Vancouver on what is permitted when it comes to offering short-term rentals.

Residents in recent days have pointed out on social media and in messages to Postmedia News what they say are loopholes and grey areas in the regulations. The concerns come at a time when the number of active short-term listings has risen and there are more reports that long-term rental accommodations are even harder to find than before.

One resident wrote to Postmedia to point out that while a laneway home can’t legally be offered for short-term rental by an owner who lives in the main property, it can be offered by a long-term tenant with the permission of the owner. In practice, however, there are owners offering their laneway homes to a nominal long-term tenant, such as a relative or friend, but actually reaping the more lucrative benefits of renting their laneway home on a short-term basis.