Council must act on Airbnb

Re: “Airbnb issue tough nut to crack for Victoria city council,” June 30. When housing is transformed into an investment vehicle or a home-sharing business, private interests are likely to hold sway over the “common good.”

As real estate agents readily admit, Airbnb has become a tool to sell luxury condos and heritage homes with self-contained suites and garden studios in James Bay, Fernwood and Fairfield. Short-term vacation rentals offer homeowners higher profits than long-term tenants who represent 59 per cent of Victoria households.

According to the 2016 census, 3,500 dwelling units were unoccupied on a full-time basis (equivalent to seven per cent of Victoria’s total housing stock) in a city with a vacancy rate of less than 0.5 per cent.

Why should residential housing for tourists take precedence over housing for locals?

When 1,700 Airbnb active hosts are voting taxpayers and 75 per cent of vacation units are for entire homes, single mothers with mortgage helpers hardly represent the typical profile of Airbnb hosts. Here are some solutions: Council could prohibit Airbnb hosts from operating more than one unit. These hosts represent 30 per cent of Airbnb listings and operate as commercial enterprises.

Council could restrict short-term rentals to properties where the primary resident lives, so the rest of the rentals are available to local tenants.

Council might tax Airbnb, which generates more than $700,000 annually from doing business in Victoria.

With minimal land-use regulation and accountability, building an affordable, inclusive city with housing for all residents remains an unfulfilled dream.

Victoria Adams Victoria