The town of Smithers continues to work toward regulating short term rentals (STR).
Town council gave third reading to a bylaw that would see STRs permitted within a secondary suite or carriage house or a part of a single-detached dwelling with certain requirements.
A public hearing was held at the same meeting but no one spoke up.
Recognizing the urgency in improving the availability and affordability of housing in communities throughout British Columbia, the provincial government adopted the Homes for People Plan in April 2023.
The plan sets out four priorities, with various action items and recommendations listed under each priority. These include unlocking more homes faster; delivering better, more affordable homes; helping those with the greatest housing need; and creating a housing market for people, not speculators.
Stricter enforcement of short-term rental operations was identified as an essential action item to discourage speculative housing investments.
Smithers' response has been in the works for several months. Information sessions, focus groups, an advisory planning commission meeting and a community survey were completed last summer to get more information on the status of short-term rentals and changes needed. Town planner Deepa Chandran said STR operations in the community have steadily increased over the last few years, especially after COVID-19.
Councillor John Buikema said he was struggling to get on board with all the aspects of it.
“STRs play a valuable role to tourism, especially for larger groups that come and prefer to share a house as opposed to multiple hotel rooms,” he said.
Councillor Frank Wray noted this was not driven by town staff, but by the province.
“I would’ve loved to see some of the current ones grandfathered in. But we can’t. I think staff made the best of a difficult situation,” he said.
Councillor Sam Raven thought overall there was good balance between long- and short-term rentals.
The amendments still need to be adopted at a future council meeting.
The Town of Smithers business license bylaw is also being amended to include short-term rentals as under the provincial directive all such operations require a business licence.
