New short-term rental bylaw means some in Kamloops may not be available
New licensing rules are putting pressure on Kamloops homeowners hosting short-term rentals, and some may not be allowed any longer.
A new bylaw will require hosts get business licenses, bringing Kamloops in line with similar restrictions across BC.
Rentals through platforms like Vrbo or Airbnb are currently prohibited under Kamloops bylaws, but a lack of enforcement essentially left them to operate without infringement.
Once approved they'll finally be allowed in Kamloops, but only some suites are even eligible. That's because secondary suites not meeting building code or zoning rules can't get business licences.
Reluctant to host long-term renters, both due to risks of "bad tenants" and the freedom to open their North Shore basement suite for family or friends, Kamloops host Jen Marie said the Airbnb has been successful.
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"We can't afford the home without a renter, so we started the Airbnb. It's been almost two years now and it's been great," she said. "Ninety-nine per cent of them are respectful, they spent money in our city, they support tourism and it's a great thing."
She and her partner were on the verge of launching nature photography tours alongside the Airbnb, but the new rules mean they'll have to spend thousands to meet building code requirements. She said the home is within a floodplain that further bars their ability to get a business licence for the Airbnb, but those rules wouldn't restrict them from hosting a long-term tenant.
It's not clear how many short-term rentals that could force closed, just as it isn't clear how many long-term rentals throughout the city similarly fall short of building regulations.
"In order to have an Airbnb we have to legalize the suite, and the list of demands is huge," she said, adding that she has had difficulty getting a full picture of the upgrades required to make her suite legal.
Some cities like Vancouver and Kelowna have seen short-term rentals regulated for several years, prompted by a perception they have squeezed already tight rental markets.
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Airbnbs haven't proliferated like other cities with greater tourism demand, but new provincial regulations require hosts register their business.
The new rules are intended to open up rental space across the province, but it isn't clear yet how much they have affected vacancy rates in cities where short-term rentals have already been regulated.
In Kelowna, a previous Airbnb ban faced backlash from the tourism industry. While vacancy rates did go up after the ban came into effect, a city staff report said most of that was due to new construction in 2024.
The new bylaw is on the agenda for a May 6 public hearing at Kamloops city hall before council votes on how to proceed with the business licence requirement imposed by the province.
Go here for more information on the provincial regulations.
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