Let’s Talk about Short-Term Rentals

Thanks for your question. It is important to try and avoid mixing up "short-term rentals" with "AirBnb" as they represent two different things. Online platforms, such as AirBnb, are the mechanism that have led to a rise in short-term rentals (i.e., enabled the global home sharing economy) which emerged in the absence of regulations. Whereas, a short-term rental is the rental of a residential dwelling unit for a short period of time, primarily utilized by tourists, and facilitated by online platforms (i.e., AirBnb).

When we updated our Zoning Bylaw in 2020, residential short-term rentals became prohibited, except for licensed Bed and Breakfasts. A business licence with the City to operate a Bed and Breakfast has always been required and must be posted in a conspicuous place on the premises. If you would like to find out if a Bed and Breakfast has a business licence with the City, we recommend that you contact that business directly. If you are unable to touch base with that business, you can also contact our Business Licence Office at 604-793-2909.

However, that being said, as the previous Zoning Bylaw (the “2001 Zoning Bylaw”) did not regulate residential short-term rentals, a business licence with the City was not required to rent a room, house, secondary suite, townhouse, etc. As such, there may be cases where some existing short-term rentals operate without a business licence with the City because they began operating prior to the current Zoning Bylaw (the “2020 Zoning Bylaw”). 

We understand that this might be a bit confusing, so we recommend having a look at the Staff Report to Council for more detail about the background information on the matter. 

Thank you for your question and please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any further comments or questions.

Hello and thank you for your suggestion. You bring up a good point since there are many homeowners that also own Recreational Vehicles (RVs) and park them on their property when they are not using them. However, that being said, RVs are not houses. An RV only has recreational, travel or camping purposes and does not function as a permanent residence as an RV does not comply with standards required for permanent housing (i.e., meeting minimum safety codes, having a proper sewer, water, electrical hookups, etc.). Our Zoning Bylaw does not allow an RV to be used as a permanent residence. This means that using an RV as a residence is not permitted, except when used in places that are designated for camping (such as RV parks, campgrounds, etc.). 

We appreciate your feedback! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any further comments or questions.

Hello and thank you for your questions and comments. Four options were identified as possible regulatory changes to address short-term rentals in Chilliwack, including pros/cons and rationale for the recommended approach “Option 4: Same Parcel Short-Term Rental”. Feel free to have a look at the Staff Report to Council for more detail about the pros/cons of each option. Also, have a look at our “visual” found on the Background Tab as it compares the level of restriction (low, medium, high, highest) to each regulatory approach.

As you mention, there are many potential local community benefits, including income generation from taxation, workers (i.e., cleaners, property managers) can earn income by providing and managing guest accommodation, as well as greater accommodation choice (guests can access often-cheaper accommodation options). While short-term rentals can bring benefits, they also can bring concerns to local communities, such as the diversion of long-term rental homes and affordability challenges. Our goal is to develop regulation to strike a balance between supporting the local tourism economy as well as preserving adequate/affordable housing in the community.

With these challenges in mind, a more flexible regulatory approach (Option 4), which is a blend between Options 2 and 3, is currently the recommended approach. We are recommending that short-term rentals take place on the same property where the owner/tenant lives, either by renting out a spare room or another unit (like a secondary suite) on the same property. Option 4 is considered a “medium restrictive” approach and, as the owner/tenant will be required to live on site, has the ability to always monitor the situation, which will help prevent potential neighbourhood nuisances.

We are currently at the stakeholder engagement stage and we anticipate that this process will help provide us with further direction in how to best regulate and manage short-term rentals. We appreciate your questions and feedback! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us if you have any further comments or questions!

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With this new information, we hope you feel more comfortable about sharing your feedback. As a local resident, business, or property owner, we hope that you take a few minutes to share your experiences, observations, questions, or concerns and help us better understand challenges and opportunities with respect to residential short-term rentals.