B.C.’s short-term rental rules cause drop in listings: study [Video]

Early evidence suggests British Columbia’s recent restrictions on short-term rentals have led to a notable decrease in listings, according to a recent study. 

The rules limit short-term rentals (STRs), such as those offered on platforms like Airbnb, to within a host’s home or a basement suite or laneway home on the property where they reside.

The change, which aims at addressing the housing affordability crisis, went into effect in May for close to 80 B.C. communities, most of which have 10,000 or more people. 

Since then, almost 16 per cent of frequently rented entire-home listings in these areas were not visible on Airbnb by July, according to the study, which was conducted on a freelance basis by McGill University professor David Wachsmuth and commissioned by the B.C. Hotel Association.

It says the change was most noticeable in northern B.C. and on Vancouver Island. 

At the same time, Wachsmuth’s findings — which were analyzed by researchers from the Urban Politics and Governance research group …