More than 500 Airbnb's are available in Nanaimo and many are for the entire home. (Airbnb)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

short-term

Survey to illuminate how bylaw changes will impact Nanaimo renters and landlords

Apr 9, 2021 | 11:45 AM

NANAIMO — The City is reaching out to landlords and renters to see how proposed changes would increase or decrease the availability of short-term rentals.

The surveys are part of the Affordable Housing Strategy, which had specific recommendations to avert the negative impacts of having too many short-term rentals available on platforms such as Airbnb.

“Folks can generally make a little more money when they’re renting out on a short-term basis, so there’s incentive for property owners to do that. What that does is it takes that housing out of the long-term rental market,” social planner David Stewart previously told NanaimoNewsNOW.

A majority of the more than 500 short-term rentals currently available in Nanaimo are for the entire home.

Proposed bylaw changes the surveys will ask about include requiring a business license, allowing the rentals in all zones of Nanaimo and allowing an entire home to be rented provided the owner lives there for a majority of the year.

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Two surveys, one for tenants and one for landlords, are also available online.

Surveys must be returned by May 10.

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