Frequently asked questions

In 2017, CIty Council approved seven guiding principles, which were used as the basis for the City's short-term rental regulations:

1. Protect long-term rental supply;
2. Ensure health and safety;
3. Encourage neighbourhood fit;
4. Promote tax and regulatory equity;
5. Support the tourism industry;
6. Encourage compliance; and
7. Enable supplemental income. 

For the success of the community working group, we felt it was important to have an independent and objective external mediator review all applications, select members and facilitate meetings. 

In forming the Community Working Group, we were committed to selecting members that represent the community we serve. It was important for us to have a diverse set of viewpoints with a balanced mix of short-term rental operators and non-operators with a goal for the following representation:

• Homeowners and renters;
• Short-term rental unit property types (e.g. single-family home, secondary suite, condominiums, etc.); 
• Geographic location (i.e. different neighbourhoods of the City); 
• Self identifies as a housing or renter advocate;
• Neighbour of a short-term rental unit; 
• Landlord who rents out their property to tenants; 
• Sitting member of a strata council or a homeowner of a strata-titled property; and
• Diversity of genders, dis/abilities and ages. 

Membership :

• Membership is open to all residents in Vancouver.
• Membership will consist of 11-15 Vancouver residents and one external facilitator who will act as the Chair.
• Members will be selected on the basis of their interest, relationship to short-term rentals and demographics to ensure a diverse and balanced set of viewpoints.
• The group will be a mix of operators and non-operators.
• Members will meet virtually approximately five times over the next year with the first meeting to take place in November, 2020.
• Names of members and results from working group meetings will be shared online with the public.
• The working group is not a decision making body and will not have the authority to vote or commit our resources or direct the work of our employees.
• Access to a computer, tablet or smart phone is required as all meetings will take place on a weekday evening online via Webex.
• All memberships are volunteer positions.

Working group members will meet virtually approximately five times between November 15, 2020 - October 31, 2021. Access to a computer, tablet or smart phone is needed as all meetings will take place on a weekday evening online via Webex. 

Members are required to attend a minimum of four meetings. If a member misses more than one meeting, the group facilitator may choose to remove them from the group and select a new member to the group.

All meetings will take place virtually via Webex on a weekday evening.  A schedule of meetings will be shared with all members. 

At this time, meetings will not be open to the public. However, details and recaps from all meetings will be posted on here for the public to review.

There is no remuneration for attending meetings as members are appointed in a volunteer capacity.  

The working group is not a decision making body and will not have the authority to vote or commit our resources or direct the work of our staff. However, their input will be used to provide insights on the community impact from short-term rentals, and will also be used to help evolve our regulations.

For the success of the working group, we feel it is important to have an independent and objective mediator.

Working group members are responsible for:

• Reporting and discussing any issue or concern with respect to STRs that are affecting their community;
• Helping our staff understand how STR regulations are effecting their communities and assist staff in refining any issues;
• Providing feedback on any new initiative or policy proposed by staff;
• Presenting potential ideas to enhance or update our regulations that staff may wish to consider; and
• Review and provide feedback on a Summary Report to be prepared by External Facilitator which will summarize the issues discussed at the Working Group and the potential solutions to each issue.

The following are beyond the scope of the Working Group’s role:

• Decision-making;
• Directing staff to undertake enforcement actions; and
• Requesting staff to disclose personal information on staffing, business licence holders and enforcement casefiles that contravenes provincial legislation and city rules of conduct which govern the disclosure and use of personal and proprietary information.

We expect and embrace all the differing opinions from members - and expect all members to be respectful of all members and their opinions. All members will act in accordance with Code of Conduct guidelines. Contravention of the Code of Conduct by a Member may result in us rescinding their appointment.