Advocating for STRs in Canada

[Tony1807]

I am interested in meeting with STR associations in Canada. I currently belong to an association in Tiny Ontario.

[Patricia1556]

Hi @Tony1807 , I am interested in the same. I have been browser searching for one with no luck. That said, in the current climate, I believe all of us who own & operate Short term rentals need representation and advocacy desperately. I am also willing to spearhead the organizing of such an association.

By way of background, I own STRs in Ontario and Quebec, in urban and tourist areas. My investment property supplements my work as a self-employed TV producer/director, journalist, writer & documentary filmmaker & will be the source of my retirement income going forward.

If anyone reading this is interested in joining an STRA, please answer this thread.

[Tony1807]

Hi @Patricia1556, we have a local association, Tiny Township Association of Responsible Hosts, that is currently going against Tiny Townships STR bylaw, one of the most far reaching in Canada. Rentals have been in place in Tiny for over a 100 years, with few consequences, after all, it is a tourist Town. With provinces in Canada looking at implementing province wide STR legislation, a larger voice is needed. Seems you are in the TV business and may know Scott McFGillivray who seems to promote vacation properties in his TV series, I don't recall an episode where he mentions STR licenses and if he were in Tiny, I suspect he would have a lot of challenges with his renovations and obtaining a license.  

[Patricia1556]

Thanks @Tony1807 ,

Perhaps we could grow the Tiny group into one that reps. STRO province wide. I believe there is one in Victoria BC too. 

The issue seems that these groups are disparate, when the challenges look like they may become national with Trudeau talking about policies to "crack down" on STRs and media reports about STRs causing housing problems not just in urban centres but everywhere. 

[Tony1807]

Thank you @Patricia1556 ,   for more information on our association, you could visit facebook: responsiblehosts.ca/  We also have a Slackgroup. Glen Sloutsky is our chair and he has been appearing in teh news lately, inlcing CTV morning show. If you have additional interested members for a province wide group, perhaps we should discuss it. Do you have a contact to connect? Do you want to go through the responisble host site?

[Paul7222]

Hi @Tony1807 ,

In BC, the NDP government has now successfully brought about an almost complete ban on short-term stays in the province!  In fact, they have even gone so far to change the definition of short term from less than 30 days to less than 90 days.

I think that everyone would agree that housing in British Columbia is an issue and that overall 'balance' is needed.   However, the Eby government is painting the entire situation with the same brush.  This policy is ignoring all the people that actually do need 1-3 month stays in BC.  

- Doctors and nurses on 1-3 month work assignments - our healthcare is already in crisis!

- patients getting treatments

- new immigrants adjusting to life in Canada

- Construction workers, who build the apartments we need

- Canadians returning to BC and looking for permanent housing

- people on temporary work assignments, contributing to our economy

- the list goes on

The change from 30 to 90 days for short-term stays is nothing but short sighted thinking of David Eby NDP government.  It will not only affect the people that work hard as long-term hosts, but also the people that contribute to our economy.

[Tony1807]

Hi @Paul7222, its smoke and mirrors, suggesting that STRs are the problem because governments have failed to take appropriate action over the last 20+ years on housing. The Conference Board of Canada, in their recent report: Airbnb Activity and Reental Markets in Canada, debuncts the who STR blame game.

[Paul7222]

Hi @Tony1807 

Agreed.  It is a lot of political manoeuvring to give the appearance that the gov is seen as doing something about the issue.

Wondering if you have seen my other post about a new association in Victoria:  propertyrightsbc.org

I would also encourage you and everyone else to write to your local, provincial and federal members of government with a very clear and organized message on the contributions you are making.  In addition, any online newspaper articles you read, I would suggest adding the same consistent messaging as comments to those articles.  Getting the word out is vital.  This issue is not just about a few 'ghost hotels'.