Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Vacation Rental Story

http://fusion.net/this-womans-job-is-to-hunt-down-illegal-airbnb-hosts-1793861667
While Tofino's crackdown on illegal vacation rentals has fizzled , other areas actually enforce their bylaws.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

Very similar problems described. Solution is obvious. They appear to be doing it. Tofino? Not so much.

Anonymous said...

Unlike Key West Tofino has chosen to go after the local property management Co's now instead of the owners of the properties. Also not going after AirB&B or VRBO that are advertising non conforming VR's in Tofino. Take on the Co's that are hiring local staff paying local taxes,collecting local hotel tax, providing 24hr emergency call service hiring local,cleaners, trades etc etc etc...but leaving the international booking agencies that provide nothing to Tofino alone...Brilliant!

Duncan McMaster said...

Re: 9:20 AM Actually none of the local property management companies in Key West, either manage or advertise illegal VRs. The penalties are onerous. Interestingly one of the largest fines for illegal STRs issued was to a member of the Key West town council.

Anonymous said...

@9:20
Your information is incorrect.
Local management companies AND the homeowners that are not complying are being fined and/or not being issued business licenses. The crackdown continues, although at a slower pace than hoped-for (by the legal operators).

Anonymous said...

Tofino has a large property that use to be listed as non profit. The owners allegedly trade housing for workers to work in their gardens. Doesn't the CRA list trade as an illegal activity because there are no taxes paid on either end? If they want to make a level playing field...then let's play ball!

Anonymous said...

YES 12:45 !!
The two-faced Tofino politicians are corrupt & completely self-serving. They are a complete joke & must NOT get back in. They are not representative of fairness and equitability.

Anonymous said...

Is that Pool Land we are talking about? Was it ever considered non profit? Maybe 6 :10 you could tell us which Tofino Politicians are "corrupt and self serving" and how, or are they all corrupt and self serving. I am all in favour of rooting out corruption where it exists.

Anonymous said...

Who is going to run?

Anonymous said...

Tofino has become a vacation town joke. The administration is the same. Most do whatever they want just watch the town during the next couple years greed will take over fully. Crappy sea can stores, massive uncontrolled party town. Just look at the brewery's 600 person event coming up? Money money money.

Anonymous said...

cabo north

Anonymous said...

Everyone likes a good party......till the party is over.....in the light of day the waste, garbage and indulgence will look ugly. Not good

Anonymous said...

Greed is good.I'm glad the town is approving the use of glorified dumpsters for retail and accommodation.

Anonymous said...

hipsters in dumpsters

Anonymous said...

Does the District have the legal right to restrict AirBandB rentals?

Anonymous said...

9:10 The District has the legal right and responsibility to regulate (specify the uses only permitted and defined) and set conditions on the use of the land.

Anonymous said...

AirBandB is a website- just another place to advertise a rental, even one for 30 days. It's just like VRBO, Flip-key, Expedia, Booking.com, or one of the local management companies. It's not an actual "thing". You can't have an "air bnb". It's not a noun. You can, however, have a rental listed on their website. And yes, the city can enforce the bylaws if you list on ANY website and operate without a licence.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the clarification.

Anonymous said...

just allow them to get a frickn licence then! geez
let's move on

Anonymous said...

it is too late everyone, let go. Tofino is gone. The prices are going up, and if you don't own something start packing your bags. Botanical Gardens, education school, dorms were a failure.... the money is in tourism now. Who is a bigger fool, the person who believes everyone cares, council will look after you or everyone making as much money as possible while they can?

Lets all make a ton of cash and keep turning this into whistler..... Sell and buy somewhere where a community says no and a council looks after its community.

Anonymous said...

Don't want to move. Guess we will just have to make Tuff a better place to live and enforce those dang bylaws. Maybe we should cut down the costs of running the municipality, as well. No doubt I will get flak for that, but really this own owns more vehicles than they have employees, and we have too many employees as well.....

Anonymous said...

Hard to enforce some of the local by-laws that are considered illegal in the province's eyes.

Anonymous said...

@10:17 - Care to elaborate on that?

Anonymous said...

Leave them alone. Places are needed in Tofino. Rents are outrageous. MYOB and let private owners rent out a room or their home. These customers will bring more money into Toronto for everyone. Turn your head the other way. No one is looking here. Government quit picking on the little guy.

Anonymous said...

This should create jobs. Every city or resort town hired students to use a stick to go up and down streets to stab the garbage. Good time to do a promotion to put signs up about littering. A another job for a local printing co. This creates jobs for clerks and many others jobs