Vancouver Airbnb host calls $1,000 license fee 'just another kick in the teeth'

Vancouver City Council voted Wednesday to increase the annual licensing fee for operators of short-term rentals from $109 to $1,000

Vancouver City Council voted Wednesday to increase the annual licensing fee for operators of short-term rentals from $109 to $1,000

Coun. Lenny Zhou spearheaded the motion to increase the fee by more than twice the amount recommended by city staff. He says the move could bring in an additional $2 million per year, money that could be spent on cracking down on illegal operators.

"So the actual revenue, we're going to use that to enhance our enforcement process by hiring more enforcement officers," said Zhou. 

In addition to increasing its enforcement, Zhou says the funds will help with public engagement to help educate people on the rules of short-term rental hosting. 

The city has seen a surge in short-term rental listings, with Zhou estimating around 2,000 are operating either without a license or are circumventing the rules. These short-term rentals are being offered in a market where tenants looking for long-term housing are facing the lowest vacancy rates and highest prices in Canada.

Patrick Baldwin has been an Airbnb host in Vancouver for five years. 

"The increased licensing is just another kick in the teeth," said Baldwin, who lives with his family in East Vancouver.