Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon says B.C. is launching a registry for short-term rentals to further crack down on "speculators" operating illegally.
Kahlon says all short-term rental operators on platforms such as Airbnb and Vrbo must apply for a registration number to be displayed on all online listings by May 1, and hosts who fail to comply will have their listings taken down from June 1.
There will also be annual registration fees, ranging from $100 for hosts who live on the property, $450 for those who live elsewhere, and $600 for so-called strata hotels.
Kahlon says in a statement the province is giving a 50 per cent discount to operators who sign up by Feb. 28, or a 25 per cent discount if they register by March 31.
The ministry says the provincial registry comes on top of short-term rental rules set out by municipalities, including meeting business licence requirements.
Kahlon says the province's registry data will be shared with the finance ministry and local governments, to "raise the level of enforcement" against owners who break rules about short-term rentals.
Vancouver City Coun. Lenny Zhou told a news conference the registry is a "welcome step" as "housing affordability continues to be a top priority" for the city.
