If you own a strata lot in Vancouver, can you use your unit for short-term accommodation through Airbnb? Yes, if your strata bylaws support short-term rentals in your building, according to Airbnb. But in two recent cases before the province’s…
VANCOUVER – The City of Vancouver says the number of short-term rentals listed online has dropped by almost half since new rules came into effect requiring operators to have a business licence. There are 3,742 active Vancouver listings on sites…
OTTAWA – One of the world’s largest short-term rental websites is inviting the Trudeau Liberals to create a regulatory regime for the burgeoning industry – something its critics have long advocated and raising pressure on the government to set rules…
MONTREAL – A Montreal borough is bringing in new rules aimed at limiting the number of short-term rentals in the city’s downtown core. Councillors in the Ville-Marie borough voted in support of a new motion on Tuesday evening to restrict…
Toronto police say a recent case of alleged human trafficking is the latest in a growing trend involving people using Airbnb rentals to conduct their illicit transactions. Det. Sgt. Nunzio Tramontozzi said police have seen a surge in such cases…
With Vancouver City Council voting to approve new regulations for short-term rentals, including Airbnb, and Toronto considering the move, the question remains: who is insuring these rentals? Stefan Tirschler, product and underwriting manager at Vancouver-based Square One Insurance Services, told…
Vancouver City Council has approved new regulations for short-term rentals, including Airbnb, legalizing rentals of less than 30 days in principal residences in the city. The regulations, which come into effect April 2018, allow city residents to apply for and…
The Rise of the Sharing Economy Consumers are increasingly interested in leasing and sharing products rather than buying and owning them. The aptly named “sharing economy” is growing rapidly, fueled in part by social media, which facilitates communication between peers…
VANCOUVER – As Canadian cities continue to wage a regulatory crack down on online home-rental platforms, Airbnb maintains it’s open to regulation provided new rules don’t penalize casual users and recognize not every host runs a full-fledged business. Vancouver and…
MONTREAL – Airbnb and the province of Quebec have announced what is being called a first tourist tax agreement on short-term rentals in Canada. Quebec Tourism Minister Julie Boulet and officials with the Canadian arm of the home-sharing platform made…
More than six in 10 Canadians (62%) oppose or somewhat oppose banning ridesharing services such as Uber, according to recent polling conducted by Nanos Research. When asked their level of support for banning services like Uber, slightly more than three…
The move by established sectors to press their first-mover advantage looks poised to push growth in the sharing economy much higher over the next five years, reaching US$40.2 billion in 2022, notes a new research report released Monday by U.K.-based…