On the West Coast, Tofino has changed its mind about short-term rentals, and wants to relax the rules before tourism season takes off.
Last year the province introduced rules for short-term rentals such as AirBnB. They were intended to help free up more rental accommodations for residents in communities that are facing housing shortages. The rules required rentals to be limited to someone’s principal property, restricting secondary properties from being used for short-term rentals.
Tofino was one of many coastal communities which chose to opt-in to the regulations, but at this week’s council meeting, the municipality decided to reverse its decision and has now asked the province if it can back out. The decision passed by a narrow 4-3 vote.
