B.C. launches short-term rental registry with annual fees in bid to stop market speculators [Video]

Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon says British Columbia is launching a registry for short-term rentals to further crack down on “speculators” operating illegally.

Kahlon says all short-term rental operators on platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo must apply for a registration number to be displayed on all online listings by May 1, and hosts who fail to comply will have their listings taken down from June 1. 

There will also be annual registration fees, ranging from $100 for hosts who live on the property to $450 for those who live elsewhere and $600 for so-called strata hotels. 

“We believe homes are for people and not for speculation, and this registry will allow us to take the enforcement to the next step,” Kahlon said during a news conference.

WATCH | Research suggests short-term rental rules are working: David Wachsmuth, an assistant professor of urban planning at McGill University, has released a report commissioned by the B.C. Hotel Association he says shows …