Short Term Rentals - Changes?
Although short-term rentals are not currently allowed in residential zones in Kelowna, interest in allowing short-term rentals is growing. This trend has potential impacts on the local community, including reducing availability of long-term rental housing and potential neighbourhood impacts of noise and parking.
Guiding Principles
Council recently endorsed (External link)the following guiding principles for short-term rental regulations:
Ensure short-term rental accommodations do not impact the long-term rental housing supply in a negative way
Ensure short-term rental accommodations are good neighbours
Ensure equity among short-term accommodation providers
Draft regulation development process
Staff prepared proposed regulations based on the guiding principles, research from other BC municipalities, and results from public and stakeholder consultation. They also align with the City’s Healthy Housing Strategy, a 5-year plan aimed at addressing our community’s most pressing housing issues.
The proposed regulations aim to balance the interest in having short-term rentals in our community with measures that protect long-term rentals, direct short-term rentals to appropriate zones and locations, limit negative neighbourhood impacts, and provide cost recovery for compliance and enforcement needs.
Next steps
On Dec. 3, 2018, Council approved next steps for staff to develop the bylaws necessary to implement the proposed regulations (read the Council Report(External link))(External link).
