Outspoken Vancouver Airbnb host in court docket about deficiency of organization licence
Marcia Clark 
Table of Contents
A Vancouver Airbnb host who criticized the town for a tenfold maximize in the rate of short-time period rental licences very last September appeared in provincial court docket Tuesday for failing to pay out a few alleged violations for not holding a brief-phrase rental organization licence.
Patrick Baldwin is a person of 1000’s of house entrepreneurs in Vancouver who supply rentals in their homes on platforms this sort of as Airbnb beneath rigorous metropolis rules, which include the want for a license for rentals considerably less than 30 consecutive days.
Courtroom files clearly show that on Sept. 29, Oct. 1 and Oct. 22 the city claimed to have “sensible grounds to imagine” Baldwin and his wife were presenting shorter-expression rentals — those considerably less than 30 consecutive times — without an proper business licence.
Just after not spending the tickets, the pair had been issued a court docket summons 3 months back.
B.C.’s new limited-expression rental rules go into outcome Could 1. Go through additional about what they are and how they are becoming obtained all around the province:
Baldwin appeared in court docket with his spouse, but the subject was adjourned until to Could 14, just after the couple spoke with Town of Vancouver prosecutor Claire Armstrong in private about contesting the prices.
Their recent listing on Airbnb is getting supplied for stays 30 days or lengthier at their key home, meaning the few does not require a short-term rental company licence.
Limited-term crackdown
Metropolitan areas across B.C. are weighing small-expression rentals, which provide home entrepreneurs with earnings and bolster regional economies, in opposition to diminishing long-expression housing for residents having difficulties with affordability.
Beneath Vancouver’s bylaws, fines imposed for the infractions can array from $250 to $10,000.
Considering that talking out last September, Baldwin says he’s been produced a scapegoat in excess of the challenge on social media websites this kind of as X, formerly recognized as Twitter.
He declined a CBC News interview request at the courthouse, but commented later by e mail.
“I truly feel that we have been demonized,” wrote Baldwin. “I strongly consider that individuals renting a suite within just their most important residence are NOT section of the dilemma — trader Airbnbs are.”
Province receives included
On Wednesday, new provincial legislation comes into influence to limit small-expression rentals to a residence owner’s principal residence in several communities. They apply to qualities rented for less than 90 consecutive times.
Vancouver has experienced its very own small-term rental guidelines given that 2018. The metropolis policies will stay in place and be bolstered by the provincial types.
For case in point, the provincial principles will involve platforms to take away listings flagged by municipalities for violations, such as functioning without having a licence. Previously, Vancouver could ask for this, but de-listing was finished by platforms on a voluntary foundation.
“I imagine the metropolis will have a pretty proactive method and additional resources readily available from the province to target the undesirable actors and assure the good enforcement with the bylaw,” stated Coun. Lenny Zhou on Tuesday.
Zhou has been outspoken about compliance from limited-term rental platforms more than listings without having a legitimate company licence.
In mid-September, metropolis councillors in Vancouver voted to increase the licence price tag for short-time period rentals from $109 to $1,000.
Zhou was the one particular to productively amend the movement to improve the small-phrase rental licence cost to $1,000, expressing the more money could be used to improve enforcement.
According to Zhou, data from January to the finish of April for both equally 2023 and 2024, displays only a three per cent reduction in organization licences issued involving the two time intervals, in spite of the extensive distinction in selling price.
“There is almost no effects on the brief-term rental operators,” he reported. “The short-phrase rental operators, they are still extremely keen to apply [for] the small business licence.”
There are at present 4,451 active shorter-term listings in the town, according to the Town of Vancouver website.
