Public takes part in Halifax's potential regulations to short-term rentals

The public is giving their thoughts on potential regulations to short-term rentals like Airbnbs at Halifax city hall Tuesday night. 

Proposed by-law changes would ban short-term rental units, such as Airbnbs and VRBO units, from operating in residential zones unless the owner also lives there.

According to a staff report, there are approximately 2000 short-term rentals in the HRM and most are whole-home rentals.

“If there were no short-term rentals in residential hopefully we’d see more and more of those units going back into housing we would also not see units taken out of long-term rental,” said HRM Councillor Waye Mason before the public hearing Tuesday.

James Dwyer, a real estate advisor with Engel & Volkers, believes the bylaw changes nibbles at the edges of problem.

“Is it going to make a major dent to our vacancy rate here in Halifax? No it won’t but it’s definitely a step in the right direction,” said Dwyer.

Seasonal properties such as cottages as well as units in rural or commercial zones would be exempt from the proposed by-law changes.

“You’d still be allowed to have whole-home rentals in a commercial or mixed-use zone where hotels or tourist accommodation are allowed,” said Mason.

As host of the TV show DIY Mom Rebekah Higgs converted an apartment she already owned into an Airbnb.

“That has offered me a lot of financial stability and independence as a single mother I’ve been able to rely on that income in order to continue my renovations,” said Higgs. 

She now operates two Airbnbs in Halifax and is currently renovating her basement to add a third.

She calls the move disappointing and notes as a business owner, she hires local people to help clear or help maintain the spaces. Higgs isn’t sure if her two units fall under commercial or residential zoning but she expects if she’s unable to operate them as Airbnbs, she’d convert them to long-term rental units. While the renovator wants to be a part of a solution to help alleviate the housing crisis, she notes her own costs have gone up.

“I’ve always had a variable mortgage I would need to charge more for a rental property to cover my mortgage anyway. So I don’t think those units are going to be affordable regardless if I put them back on the market,” Higgs said.   

Under provincial rules that take effect April 2023, all owners of short-term rentals—including those within a person’s home—must register their property. Owners must also display their registration number on all online booking platforms.

Platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO will also have to ensure only operators with a valid registration number are leasing out their spaces.