City wants more say over vacation rentals

In response to the growing popularity of online services that allow homeowners to easily rent out their properties, city council is set to adopt a suite of new regulations to gain a measure of control.

Airbnb alone has 200 hosts within Penticton — and there are likely hundreds more registered through different services — yet the city has issued just 72 business licences for vacation rentals, council heard.

Those properties generated 40 complaints last year to bylaw services, according to staff, which is seeking to get a handle on the proliferation of vacation rentals before it becomes a problem.

“The sharing economy is real, it’s happening and we can’t continue sort of turning a blind eye,” said Mayor Andrew Jakubeit, adding new rules should help ensure health and safety requirements are met at rental properties.

Measures that got tentative approval from council Tuesday include new caps on the number of guests, a requirement to post owner contact numbers and occupancy limits in a place visible from the street, and inclusion of a business licence number in all advertisements.

Local bylaws would also be amended to include fines of up to $500 for operating or advertising an unlicensed vacation rental.

If the changes gain final approval at council’s March 7 meeting, property owners would then enjoy a four-month grace period to move into compliance.

Coun. Helena Konanz warned, however, that the regulatory scheme must be kept simple to get people on board.

“Make it very easy so people aren’t nervous,” said Konanz, who owns a vacation rental in Area D of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen.

She suggested some people might be deterred by thinking they need to have consent of all their neighbours or meet some other strict requirements in order to obtain a licence when that may not be the case. To counter those fears, she recommended staff create a simple pamphlet or checklist that clearly explains what’s expected of rental owners.