Account Login/Registration

Access KelownaNow using your Facebook account, or by entering your information below.


Facebook


OR


Register

Privacy Policy

VIDEO: Public Hearing tonight on licensing of Airbnb style rentals

How do YOU feel about the licencing fees and restrictions on what kind of accommodation you can rent out on AirBnB or VRBO? Tonight is your turn to speak on the matter, at a public hearing. The City of Kelowna is poised to adopt by-law changes that will legalize these kinds of rentals, but licensing comes at a cost and chances are the suite in your renovated garage or carriage house will not qualify.

Just how to regulate short term rentals has been a hot button issue since it first came before council. The correspondence has been piling up. "Some saying it's too permissive," said Community Planning Supervisor Laura Bentley, "some saying it's too restrictive."

At tonight's public hearing the proposal before council includes a $345/yr licensing fee for a short term rentals, and in most cases it has to be the main living area of the home that's up for rent. Not a separate space like a carriage home or or suite. Some have argued that those are some of the most popular style of short term rental. "That's certainly one of the things we've heard and one of the challenges that we've faced in developing the regulations," said Bentley. But one of the goals of the by-law is to protect the availability of long term accommodation. "Those types of units are also one of our more common unit types for long term renters."

And while vacancy rates in Kelowna have increased, they're still lower than planners would like to see. "Last summer "Our vacancy rate is now at 1.9 %," Bentley said. "So our target rate for a healthy vacancy rate would be 3 to 5%."

Tonight's public hearing is scheduled for 6:00 in council chambers on Water Street.



If you get value from KelownaNow and believe local independent media is important to our community we ask that you please consider subscribing to our daily newsletter.

If you appreciate what we do, we ask that you consider supporting our local independent news platform.


Send your comments, news tips, typos, letter to the editor, photos and videos to news@kelownanow.com.



Weather
webcam icon

weather-icon
Thu
12℃

weather-icon
Fri
12℃

weather-icon
Sat
12℃

weather-icon
Sun
15℃

weather-icon
Mon
17℃

weather-icon
Tue
16℃

current feed webcam icon

Recent Livestream




Top Stories

Follow Us

Follow us on Instagram Follow us on Twitter Like us on Facebook Follow us on Linkedin Follow us on Youtube Listen on Soundcloud Follow Our TikTok Feed Follow Our RSS Follow Our pinterest Feed
Follow Our Newsletter
Privacy Policy