District of Squamish will increase the fine for flouting short-term rentals rules from $500 to $3,000 per infraction daily. Doing so would align the district with the provincial changes to the legislation on this issue.
At a Committee of the Whole meeting on February 14, District planner Asia Philp presented a short-term rental program review. The review presented critical findings from short-term rental (STR) data tracking over the past year.
Philp reported that STR units and listings are still rising, with approximately 300 STR units in the district in the last quarter of 2023, a 50% increase from the previous year. She also noted that suites and accessory dwelling units continue to represent a significant portion of the STR inventory in Squamish. On the licensing and compliance side, approximately 48% of all known STR units have acquired a business license.
This year, Bylaw Services will focus on increasing compliance by increasing warning letters sent out to those operating without a valid license.
Staff also recommended amending the short-term rental accommodation definitions in the Zoning and Business Licence Bylaws to align with the Province’s definition, which defines short-term rentals as less than 90 consecutive days. The District defines short-term rental accommodation as temporary accommodation for a period of less than 30 days.
Philp noted that some operators in the District avoid obtaining a licence by listing their unit on Airbnb for a minimum 30-day stay. Changing the STR definition from less than 30 days to less than 90 days could further disincentivize the short-term rental of these units and protect rental stock.
Some key findings on STRs in Squamish
Listings and units are still rising, continuing and accelerating the trend from 2022 into and through 2023. In the last quarter of 2023, there were about 300 STR units in the District, compared to about 200 at the same time in 2022. It is estimated that suites and accessory dwellings continue to represent a significant portion of the STR inventory in Squamish. 46 Airbnb filter results were for ‘entire unit’ + ‘guest house’ in 2023.
STR Licensing: The District issued 146 STR business licences in 2023, an increase of 51 licences from 2022. Approximately 48% of all known STR units have acquired a business licence, similar to the 49% compliance rate in 2022.
STR Enforcement: Enforcement activity in 2023 was similar to that in 2022. 38 public complaints were received (higher than in any other year), 103 properties were flagged for enforcement, 25 warning letters were sent, and 18 ticket fines were issued.
