Home News by Region BC & National Short-term rentals may now require business licences

Short-term rentals may now require business licences

ubcm, nils jensen, oak bay, airbnb
Oak Bay Mayor Nils Jensen at the 2018 UBCM convention in Whistler, BC.
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Friday, September 14 ~ BC.

Led by Oak Bay Mayor Nils Jensen, mayors and councillors from around BC this week (at the annual Union of BC Municipalities convention in Whistler, Sept 10-14) endorsed a motion that would see short term rentals like Airbnb be required to have a business licence to operate.

The ‘Short-Term Vacation Rental Listing Platforms’ Responsibility in Compliance’ motion calls on the Province to negotiate a BC-wide agreement with Airbnb and other regionally-active short-term rental platforms to assist local governments with compliance checks, whereby the short-term rental platforms agree to require their hosts to provide proof of a valid business license, where applicable, in order to advertise using their service.

::: As first published on page 3 in the September 14, 2018 print/PDF issue of West Shore Voice News.