BC requiring all short-term rentals to register with the government

The BC NDP have announced that beginning May 1, all short-term rentals must be registered with the government.

Property owners who fail to do so will face consequences.

According to the government, the new regulation applies to anyone operating a short-term rental in British Columbia via sites such as AirBnB, VRBO, and Booking.com, or any other online forums. Once registration is completed, hosts will be provided with a number, which must then be displayed on their ad.

Platforms have been asked by the government to de-list any ads that do not include the registration number by May 1. If a property still doesn't comply by June 1, the sites have been ordered to "prevent any new bookings, and cancel any existing bookings."

Hosts will receive a 50% discount if they register by February 28, or 25% if they register by March 31. Fees will be used to "support the short-term rental enforcement program."

A short-term rental in BC is defined as "accommodations provided to members of the public in a host’s property, in exchange for money, for a period of less than 90 consecutive days."

The government touted the short-term rental registry as a tool to "help more families find a place to live, and to build on actions underway to make homes available for people, and not for speculators."