Rural directors feeling heat on short-term rentals
Facing increasing pressure to ban short-term rentals in their respective communities, elected officials representing the region’s rural areas are planning a meeting to talk amongst themselves.
“I know for Greater West Bench, for sure, that nobody’s interested in it becoming like the West Bench Hotel and it being empty overnight,” said Riley Gettens, the director for Area F (Okanagan Lake West/ Greater West Bench/Faulder) on the board of the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen, at a committee meeting Feb. 8.
As of May 1, short-term rentals in all B.C. communities with populations over
10,000 will be limited to a property owner’s primary residence or secondary suite.
That will effectively end whole-house vacation rentals, detractors which of view them as noisy nuisances that take housing out of the long-term rental pool for locals who need it.
However, the new legislation does not automatically apply to communities with populations under 10,000 or those that are electoral areas of regional districts, such as the West Bench, Kaleden and Naramata. Instead, political leaders of such small communities have to opt in to the new legislation.
RDOS staff recommended holding off on that discussion until 2025 to make time for public consultation and consideration, and because there’s an existing system in place to regulate short-term rentals. Further complicating things is a 2023 RDOS citizens’ survey that showed just 43% of respondents favoured stronger rules for short-term rentals.
Rural RDOS directors don’t want to wait, though, and voted to meet later this month to discuss the issue amongst the nine of them.
“I’m getting calls from realtors, property owners from Vancouver, Alberta that own properties that absolutely want me to guarantee that we’re not going to opt in (to the new legislation) and I can’t because we really need to protect our community,” said Subrina Monteith, the director for Area I (Skaha West/Kaleden/Twin Lakes/Apex.)
Monteith also noted she’s “disappointed” with the B.C. government for leaving uncertainty for rural areas.
“They made the decision for municipalities but they’re forcing us to make that decision, and that’s not fair to us,” said Monteith.
“We’re so close to Penticton and the pressure for our community is going to be great.”