Short Term Rental Review

THE CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF NELSON
DATE: June 25, 2018 Committee of the Whole

TOPIC: Short-Term Rentals – Scheduled Policy Review
PROPOSAL: Receive updates and proposed changes for information
PROPOSED BY: Staff
ANALYSIS SUMMARY:
In August 2016, Council passed a resolution committing to a review of the short-term
rental (STR) regulations by June 2018. The regulations have been in effect since
January 2017. Staff are presenting an overview of the regulations’ implementation thus
far and are seeking Council direction on possible amendments.
BACKGROUND:
There are currently 61 annual short-term rental licences and one summer licence,
including pending applications. The cap for annual licences is 110.
Two surveys were online from March 8 until April 8, 2018. The public survey was
advertised online and in the Nelson Star and the licence holders’ survey was sent
individually to each STR licence holder. 27 out of 52 licensees completed the survey.
108 responses were received to the public survey, of which 91% claimed that they live
in the City of Nelson.
67% of licence holders responded that they are satisfied, very satisfied, or indifferent
about the current regulations. In the public survey, 28% were satisfied, another 9% were
neutral, and over 40% thought that the regulations should be more restrictive.
Overall, licence holders felt that the regulations are meeting the stated objectives of:
1. Ensuring a level playing field;
2. Ensuring safe accommodations; and
3. Meeting local housing needs.
Changes Proposed by Staff

Remove the $30 inspection fee
Remove the $500 deposit requirement
Lower Guest Suite licence fee from $800 to $500
Secondary suites used for STR: apply a utility surcharge instead of withholding
the 75% utility discount – net savings for applicant and improved administrative
efficiency
Guest Home may not be advertised for more than 182 days/yr
Building Official can waive inspection requirement if property was recently
inspected
Clarify that no licence shall be issued if there are outstanding fines
Allow up to two 31-day licences per year (current maximum is one)
Applications made July 1-on: prorate at 70%
Reserve right to request booking records directly from listing platforms
Potential Changes for Consideration

Replace summer-only licences with 4-month licence
Create criteria for staff discretion on waiving certain requirements in unique
cases
Clarify “guest room” definition as not only bedroom but also living room
Applicant must have the provincial homeowner’s grant to qualify for primary
residency
BENEFITS, DISADVANTAGES AND NEGATIVE IMPACTS:

A scheduled policy review following a year’s experience with new regulations helps to
practice iterative policy-making, ensuring that experience feeds back into policy.
LEGISLATIVE IMPACTS, PRECEDENTS, POLICIES:

Council adopted its first short-term rental regulations in December 2016, which came
into effect on January 1, 2017.
COSTS AND BUDGET IMPACT - REVENUE GENERATION:

Business licencing, including for short-term rentals, operates on a cost-recovery basis.
IMPACT ON SUSTAINABILITY OBJECTIVES AND STAFF RESOURCES:

No impact is anticipated.
COMMUNICATION:
Two surveys were online from March 8 until April 8, 2018. The public survey was
advertised online and in the Nelson Star and the licence holders’ survey was sent
individually to each STR licence holder.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Presentation slides
2. Survey results: current licence holders
3. Survey results: public survey
AUTHOR: REVIEWED BY:
___________________________ ____________________________
PLANNER CITY MANAGER
SHORT-TERM RENTALS
Scheduled Review (June 2018)
Principles
1. Ensuring a level playing field for accommodators
2. Safe accommodation facilities for visitors and tourists
3. Meeting the housing needs of local long-term renters.
But also: enforceable rules and maximising voluntary

compliance
Higher fees → Enforcement → Near-100% compliance

→ Fairness for all licence holders
Current Regulations (residential zoning)
• Cap of 110 annual licences and 40 summer licences
• no cap on 31-day licences, however there can only be one per property, per year
• Density cap: maximum of three per block
• Primary residency requirement (except for summer licences)
• Parking requirement: always at least one space

• one stall may be provided on an adjacent property or across the lane
• Building inspection every three years (must meet current building code)
• Online map of all short-term rentals

Licence Fees
Annual - Guest Home/Suite (entire dwelling) $800
Annual - One Guest Room $200

Must hold a Nelson Kootenay Lake
Annual - Two Guest Rooms $350 Tourism Membership ($150/yr)
Annual - Three or more Guest Rooms (only two lots are zoned for this) $450
Summer - Guest Home/Suite $400
Summer - One Guest Room $110
Summer - Two Guest Rooms $150
31-day licence - Guest Home/Suite $160
Plus annual $30 fee to cover triennial inspection

Plus $500 deposit
If a secondary suite is made into a short-term rental, the 75% water & sewer discount incentive for LT rental is lost ($850/yr).
Average cost breakdown
$135 – base business licence fee
$200 – additional staff time + overhead (application review,

GIS, communication)
$100 – building inspection (divided by three years)
$300 – compliance monitoring costs (Host Compliance +

staff time)
Commercial Zoning
• Some complaints that since there are residential units in
commercial zoning, that “tourist accommodations” should
be restricted.
• No plans to update at this time.

Summary of first year (2017)
• 50 licences
• 39 annual
• 4 summer
• Seven 31-day licences
• Host Compliance identified 80% of STRs initially, City

identified the rest
• 20 warning letters. Most come into compliance

immediately.
• 6 tickets issued (12 additional tickets were cancelled)
2018 thus far
• 54 licences approved – all are annual
• 13 Guest Homes
• 17 Guest Suites
• 17 one Guest Room
• 7 two Guest Rooms
• 7 pending
• 1 summer licence
Total: 62
• One block has reached density cap
• 6 warning letters sent

• 2 bylaw tickets issued (one was cancelled)
2016 – 2017 – 2018 in comparison
62
50
2016
2017
2018
19 20
18
6
2
0 0
Licences Warning letters Tickets
Near-100% Compliance
• 100% compliance in terms of holding a licence: all
operating STRs have a licence
• New STRs are followed up on within 2 weeks
• In Nelson: Airbnb, VRBO, FlipKey, HomeAway, HomeStay,
CanadaStays, and Booking.com
• Host Compliance monitors 50 STR listing websites
• Once licensed, enforcement on other regulations is

generally complaint-based
Some challenge the compliance rate.
Reasons for the misunderstanding are:
1. Informal/unlisted STRs
2. Not all listings on Airbnb = active STR
3. What constitutes a short-term rental
1. Not all busy households = STR
2. Legal definition of “short”: under 30 days
“I'm wondering how you monitor the 'short

term rentals' that are advertised on
Facebook groups every day, the pages
have far more one to a few month
accommodations than long term rentals.”
Attention paid to Nelson’s STR regs
• Globe and Mail, CBC, The Tyee
• February 2018 webinar
• Mentions and calls from:
• City of Vancouver
• City of Kelowna
• City of Revelstoke
• City of Powell River
• Village of Pemberton
• Town of Gibsons
• District of Summerland
• City of Fernie
• Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District
• District of Invermere
• City of Kimberley
• City of Kingston (Ontario)
• Town of Canmore
SURVEY RESULTS
March 8 – April 8 2018
Licence holders
27 responses
Public survey
108 responses
91% live in the City of Nelson
Overall, how satisfied are you with the current STR licence system?
Licence Holders
Overall, how satisfied are you with the current STR licence system?
Public
Licence Holders
Not at all Somewhat Yes Neutral/Unsure
Ensuring a level 21.4% 28.6% 42.9% 7.1%
playing field
Safe 0% 7.7% 76.9% 15.4%
accommodation
Meeting local 14.3% 14.3% 57.1% 14.3%
housing needs
Public
Not at all Somewhat Yes Neutral/Unsure
Ensuring a level 21.6% 28.4% 30.7% 19.3%
playing field
Safe 8.8% 26.3% 50% 15%
accommodation
Meeting local 55.1% 22.5% 10.1% 12.4%
housing needs
Some are unhappy with regulations
Anyone, who has a business in this town or has lived here

for more than 8 years, should able to STR their home even
if it is not their primary current residence.
They have invested in this town and the this town should
recognize their need to keep their home accessible and
affordable to them as life circumstances may have
changed.
Some are satisfied
“The current regulations have addressed concerns we have
had in the past. We have operated a B&B in Nelson for 16
years and have always complied with the city's regulations
but we were discouraged to see others operating without a
business licence. The current system is a big
improvement.”
“We commend the City on establishing and enforcing

regulations for short term rentals. We have no concerns at
this time.”
Some are satisfied
• I like that the safety standards are high.
• They are fair and thoughtful
• It's not much different than the old B and B licensing process.
The fees are a bit more, which I understand.
• As one of the original STR licencee's I support the City in

regulating Nelson's STR market.
• The requirement for a building inspection prior to receiving a

permit to ensure that renters are getting safe accommodations.
Parking requirements is important too
Some want more restrictions
• What we have to pay in comparison is HUGE to be an
accommodations business in the City. The fees are a drop in
the bucket for STR operators compared to what they can
make. It should cost them more.
• Hoteliers collect 2%, which is a much higher amount of money

than the $150 tourism fee.
• I am aware of people losing housing to short term rentals, there

are empty units, homes around me operating as str's at the
same time as people look for affordable family housing
• A lot is being done to protect tourists, but the tourists don't

need more from the city.
Some want it banned
• Absolutely NO Airbnb, NO short term rental of entire house or
apartment should ever been allowed, else than rooms in the summer
for those renting rooms in their own home in which they live full time.
T here is shortage of long term rentals for people living and working
here. Some are homeless right now living in motel or with friends.
People over 45y old and people with kids!! .
• It amounts to certain business interests blackmailing the city into

rezoning entire residential neighborhoods for their own benefit and no
benefit to other residents.
• Stop issuing short term licenses so permanent residents can have

places to live!
• Follow the lead of cities like Berlin and ban it entirely except in
commercially zoned areas.
POLICY REVIEW
Licence Fees: Proposed changes
1. Remove $30 inspection fee
2. Remove deposit requirement

Utility Billing for Secondary Suite STRs
• Currently, they are ineligible for the 75% water/sewer
discount
• Proposed changes:
• Lower Guest Suite licence fee from $800 to $500
• apply the discount to conforming suites used for STR (savings of
$848/year), but increase annual fees from $800 to $1,200
Net savings for applicant: $448 per year

“I think you should
Summer Licences
decrease the number of
licences available as well.
110 seems excessive
with the extremely low
End summer-only licences vacancy rate Nelson is
experiencing.”
Consider new type:
Four-Month Licence (Guest Home/Suite)
$400
May be “airbnbed” for no more than four 31-day periods per year
Replace
“Allowing exemptions to a STR that
does not meet the Primary Residence
Exemptions
requirement was a mistake on the part
of the city. Totally agree with the
summer only licence be exempt, but do
not agree with the city doing one off
exemptions!”
Consider criteria to delegate authority to staff

Principal residency
Proposed change:
• Guest Home: property may not be advertised for more
than 182 days per year
Possible change:
• Applicant must have the homeowner’s grant
Building Inspections
Current: building inspection required every three years
Proposed change:
• Building Official can waive inspection if the property has
been inspected for a building permit within the previous
three years, at their discretion
Additional changes
1. Clarify maximum “guest rooms” as bedrooms
2. Clarify that no licence shall be issued if there are
outstanding fines
3. Allow up to two 31-day licences per year (current
maximum is one)
• Only one application is required per calendar year
4. Applications made July. 1-on: prorate 70%

5. Reserve right to request booking records directly from
listing platforms
Parking Requirements (existing dwellings)
1 Guest Room 1 space

2 Guest Rooms 2 spaces
3+ Guest Rooms 2 spaces + 1 space/guest room
Secondary Suite 1 space/dwelling unit
Guest Home 2 spaces
But for one-month or summer-only:
1 space
Guest Home in R3 1 space
Parking – public comments
• “Many homes do not have off street parking anyhow, so it
should not matter if a house has off street parking or not.”
• “Parking is a problem. I live next door to an Airbnb and the

guests have parked in front of my house, because the
Airbnb does not have parking on their property. In
addition, the residents have two vehicles.”
• Guests not knowing about winter parking rules

Parking Requirements – Survey
Licence Holders:
• 67%: good as-is
• 12% (two people) thought they should be lower, one
suggested site-by-site
Public survey:
• 41%: good as-is
• 16%: should be higher
• 22%: should be lower / no requirements
• 12%: other (about half against parking requirements)
Staff recommend no change.

Nelson Kootenay Lake Tourism
membership
• Membership requirement ($150/yr) to be removed after
the new tax agreement with Airbnb takes effect
• Date unknown
Licence Holders Survey Results
Report for 2018 Nelson Short-Term

Rental Review - Licence Holders' Survey
Response Counts
Complet ion Rat e: 70 .4%
Complete 19
Partial 8
T ot als: 27
1
Communities around the world are strug g ling with the complexities of
accommodating short-term rentals (which are a commercial use) in residential
areas. During the summer of 2016 the City of Nelson eng ag ed in a four-month
project to research short-term rental (STR) reg ulations and conduct public
eng ag ement. The identified objectives of STR reg ulation and licensing were:
ensuring a level playing field for accommodators, safe accommodation facilities
for visitors and tourists, and meeting the housing needs of local long -term
renters. Another objective is preserving the character of residential
neig hbourhoods. City Council has made it a priority to accommodate STRs for
the benefit of visitors, residents, and neig hbourhoods, while at the same time
mitig ating the potential detrimental impacts on communities.Do you believe
that the current licensing reg ulations help achieve each objective?
Yes, they
help meet
Not the
at all Somewhat objectives Neutral/Unsure Responses
Ensuring a level
playing field for 3 4 6 1 14
accommodators 21.4% 28.6% 42.9% 7.1%
Count
Row %
Safe
accommodation 0 1 10 2 13
facilities for 0.0% 7.7% 76.9% 15.4%
visitors and
tourists
Count
Row %
Meeting the
housing needs 2 2 8 2 14
of local long- 14.3% 14.3% 57.1% 14.3%
term renters
Count
Row %
T otals 41
100.0%
2
Why are the current reg ulations falling short on "ensuring a level playing field
for accommodators"? What could we do to better meet this objective?
ResponseID Response
10 Allow ST R Licenses to Registered Owners of homes in the City that are not
registered as a "Principal Residence" (for Property T ax Home Owner Grant) but
who are part-time Nelson residents, applying appropriate tests. T hese homes,
otherwise empty, then provide 1) a welcome option for visiting families or tourist
groups who need space and cooking facilites over extended time periods, 2)
local employment for service personnel, 3) local business activity and 3) gov't
income taxes and fees - otherwise forgone when the owner is not in residence.
Remove "tenant" or "lessee" from definition of "OWNER" - renters are not
ultimately responsible for physical building maintenance and up-keep. ST R by
tenants as a business pre-empts long-term, shared-rental situations in homes,
and sets up different qualification ST R rules and standards for owners vs.
tenants.
12 Lack of enforcement does more than simply put operators like me at a financial
disadvantage: you are incentivizing people to ignore the rules and save the
thousands of dollars that I've spent. Council approved an expensive contract
with a company that claimed to be able to identify properties (falsely, I would
argue, since platforms like Airbnb don't reveal addresses until a booking is
confirmed and paid, so I think you got hosed by a company making claims that it
couldn't fulfill. My guess is that they used mapping and photo matching (Google
Street View) to attempt to identify properties. But listings that don't show an
exterior, street-front picture won't be captured). T he City was quick to send
threatening, scary letters to me before the bylaw was in place, but now that there
is a bylaw, enforcement isn't happening, and I'm spending thousands per year in
fees and upgrades while other operators spend nothing.
18 First of all, it seems pretty apparent that the City of Nelson does it's best to deter
Short T erm Rentals. It's really unfortunate! T he license fees are the highest in the
province of British Columbia. An arbitrary deposit has been imposed on Short
T erm Rental operators and the Water and Sewer costs are higher than if a
homeowner had a full time tenant. T here is nothing about a level playing field
here! Get rid of Alex T humm, a kid from the city who didn't do his homework
before creating policies that had no application to the community of Nelson. Give
Short T erm Rental operators back their $500.00 deposits. Lower the cost of the
Business license fees to include the Annual Water and Sewer Fees.
4
ResponseID Response
19 Not all students come leave in the summer. I am a landlord renting to medical
students and residents, and they come at various times in the year. I believe this
bylaw oversimplifies by restricting the 4-month license to summer months.
31 T here are still short-term-rental properties being operated in Nelson that are
unlicenced. I was one of the original 9 properties that held a liscence with the
best intent to contribute positively to Nelson's tourism and City objectives. In
addition to business licence and tourism fees, there are insurance and tax
implications that add up significantly. Unliscenced properties do not have these
costs and draw the overall nightly price down significantly for those of us who
are licenced.
5
Why are the current reg ulations falling short on "safe accommodation facilities
for visitors and tourists"? What could we do to better meet this objective?
ResponseID Response
No responses.
6
Why are the current reg ulations falling short on "meeting the housing needs of
local long -term renters"? What could we do to better meet this objective?
ResponseID Response
18 T here are many Short T erm Rental operators such as myself that have no
interest in renting to long term tenants. I have the opportunity to keep my space
available to friends and family if I choose to. T he City of Nelson has no business
telling me who I can or can't rent to.
19 Most of my renters are medical residents and professionals, here for various
lengths of time for 3 weeks to 3 months. I believe I am meeting an extremely
important niche market that benefits the whole community. (T he link between
communities that welcome and train medical personnel and successful long term
recruitment has been clearly established.) In order to meet the needs of this
market, I have to balance the changing schedules of several provincial
organizations and employers and I need flexibility in my business model to do
this. Specifically, the flexibility I need is to be able to do ST R in the weeks and
months between long term medical tenants when my unit is vacant. (And
occasionally to rent ST R to a student or resident that is here on a rotation
shorter than 30 days.) T his amounts to approximately 4 months of the year. T he
City's bylaw interferes with this flexibility, and I believe unfairly interferes with my
business operation. I would be satisfied with a 4-month license that let me pick
the months, depending on the needs of my renters. I would be happy to submit a
list to the City at the end of the year demonstrating that I have rented for 120
nights or fewer ST R. (It would not work if the City imposed which months in
advance. T he demand comes from the market - medical schools and employers -
it cannot and should not be constricted by the City.) Further, I would add that it
would be helpful if the City were to encourage the long term rentals they want to
see through municipal tax rebates, rather than try to discourage ST R by imposing
restrictive bylaws and fees. Why not have a $1000 tax rebate to landlords that
have long term leases of 12 months or more? T hat would certainly encourage
ST R landlords to consider long term tenants by simply making it more feasible to
rent long term. Consider the math: For a second property with no resident
rebate: $4000/year for municipal taxes $1100/year for water and sewer
$800/year for ST R license T his means that $500/month of rent charged by the
landlord goes directly to the City. Really think about this, the next time you hear
people complaining that the rents are too high. Rather than restrict ST R, why not
look at encouraging through rebates the kind of rental situations you want?
21 By definition, ST Rs directly affect the current shortage of long-term rentals.

T here needs to be new developments specifically geared to housing needs, ie
condos and low-to-mid income apartments.
7
8
To be issued a short-term rental licence in Nelson, in every case there must be

at least one parking space on the property. These are the current
minimum parking requirements: 1 Short-Term Rental Guest Room: 1 parking
space on the property 2 Short-Term Rental Guest Rooms: 2 spaces on the
property 3 Short-Term Rental Guest Rooms or more: 2 spaces for the main
dwelling + 1 space/g uest room Secondary Suite or Detached Secondary
Dwelling Unit: 1 space per dwelling unit "Guest Home" (entire house): 2 spaces,
but only 1 space for a 31-day or summer-only licence and only 1 space in
the Downtown Residential Zone (R3 zoning ) Furthermore, if sufficient off-
street parking spaces for a Short-Term Rental use cannot be provided on the
same lot, up to one (1) required parking space may be located on another lot
adjacent to or across the lane, or within 100 metres from the subject
property.What do you think about the current parking requirements for short-
term rentals?
17% Other - Please explain
11% No opinion/unsure
6% They should be lower.

67% These are the right parking
requirements.
9
Value Percent Responses
T hese are the right parking requirements. 66.7% 12
T hey should be lower. 5.6% 1
No opinion/unsure 11.1% 2
Other - Please explain 16.7% 3
T ot als: 18
Other - Please explain Count
Depends on the property. T here are many homes in Nelson without any off-street 1
parking.
Get out of your tiny little box, go travel around the world as I have. Air bnb hosts all 1
throughout the world aren't dictated by their municipal government about parking
spots.
I think it should be reviewed specifically for each case. 1
T otals 3
10
What concerns or issues do you have with the current licensing reg ulations, if
any?
ResponseID Response
10 Current licensing rules are discriminatory: 1) Part-time Nelson residents who

own a Principal Residence (such as snowbirds) in Nelson are treated differently
than part-time Nelson residents owning two homes with a Principal Residence
elsewhere in BC (I say in BC in light of new provincial property tax regulations). 2)
T enants have different ST R qualification rules than Registered Owners. Fees are
exorbitant.
12 - Lack of enforcement of bylaw regarding licensing
16 We have no concerns as long as the current regulations are being strictly

enforced.
17 We commend the City on establishing and enforcing regulations for short term
rentals. We have no concerns at this time.
18 T he licensing regulations are the highest in the province of BC if not the country.
I have done research by contacting over 30 other municipalities, Vancouver,
Victoria, Squamish, Kelowna, to name a few and Nelson has the most rigid rules,
arbitrary fees and the highest business license cost. It's ridiculous!!!
19 I understand the need to discourage outside investors from buying up rental

properties and tuning them into ST R. However, there are also civic-minded locals
who are deeply invested in properties and in the community. At a recent Council
meeting I was shocked to hear a councillor toss out the comment that property
owners that don't like the bylaw should just sell their properties to people who
would rent them to families. T his off-hand kind of comment really does not take
into account the level of thought, care and commitment (including significant
financial commitment) that some locals have made in investing in second
properties with a view to providing a variety of rental solutions and flexibility of
use.
11
ResponseID Response
21 T he $500 deposit seems punitive. Having ST Rs operators pay for their own
enforcement seems like a money grab and to call it a deposit when you don't get
it back unless you cease operations is false advertising. As a small business
owner, $500 is a large % of income, charging us this seems like a cop-out. T he
$500 almost seems like we're paying a fine for "potential bylaw infractions"
before one even begins business. Find this money elsewhere. Do other
businesses pay such a fee ("deposit") when they open business?
22 None
26 None
31 Summer is the busiest time for short-term rentals in Nelson. T he summer

licensing puts annual licencee's at a disadvantage as more properties become
available during this time, and they are not principle residences. I am aware of
owners who ask their long-term tenants to move out so they can run a ST R
through the summer months (some licenced and many not). T hese landlords do
not have costs that are proportional to annual licencee holders. For example,
according to CRA annual short-term-rental operators must declare that portion
of their home as a commercial property which has significant tax implications; in
addition to insurance costs, tourism and business licencing.
32 My only concern about the current regulations is the inability for non permanent
residences from being able to rent their houses. T here are many reasons that
owners are not able to rent their homes on a full time basis and being able to rent
it short term from time to time helps owners to pay their bills I also find the fees a
little high, but I understand that it is to cover costs the city requires to regulate
the short term rentals in town
12
ResponseID Response
33 In my opinion City of Nelson's Airbnb rates are set far too high. I looked into
other cities in BC and Nationwide, and none come close to Nelson. I have a 550
sq ft suite downstairs and I am being charged the same fee as a three bedroom
house. T he earning potential is totally different. I believe there should be a middle
rate for those with a small one bed suite. I cannot charge what a person with a
whole house charges. My rates are similar to a one bedroom within the living
space of a family home. T o me, the $500 deposit does not make sense. Do the
hotels and bnb's pay a deposit? Kootenay Lake T ourism seems like another cash
grab with few benefits. At least with joining the Chamber of Commerce we could
opt in for extended health benefits. When I asked about using the KLM to join the
Chamber at a better fee, it was explained to me that other small businesses could
but not air bnb small business owners. T hat seems off. Raising the water and
sewer for air bnb is also a hardship. My clients do not use the laundry, barely eat
at the suite and only have a quick shower before they head into the city to spend
their money. In my opinion, long term renters use more water. Last year, the
amount I paid for my rental suite and house was $1300(that was a combined total
but billed as two separate suites), this year I have the same amount of people at
any one time in my house but paid $2200. I feel that the exorbitant fees the city is
implementing are not helping this style of small business thrive, but contributing
to driving up the price of rent and housing here, including airbnb rates. T his
defeats the purpose of having a more competitive rate for tourists on a budget(
and I am a one of those budget travelers). And yet, the air bnb benefits to tourism
and economy in this town is palpable. Read the testimonials about the suites
here in Nelson left on the site. Why are there so many Airbnb rentals
here...because tourism here is abundant. I understand rent is hard to find here. It
is one if the reasons I bought a house. I am not going to get into this contentious
topic, other than that I am feeling punished. It was always my intention to start an
Airbnb with the small space I had in the house I bought just under 2 years ago.
T hen just as I started the reno in suite, the licensing was implemented. I went
ahead not realising the scope of the fees. T he other issue I have is the one time a
year start date for a one year license.. it is unreasonable. People do not vacate a
suite coinciding with this rule. T his leaves a rental vacant and the owner out of
pocket. I grew up here and wanted to raise my son here. Work in Nelson is
sparse and so it made sense to start this rental to be able to help pay bills. So far
it has been tough with all the fees. I feel that yes, limit the number of Airbnb
rentals if you will, and continue to ensure there are standards but I say stop
financially punishing Nelsonites who are providing a quality modern service.
34 I would like to have the $500 deposit returned. I don't think it's appropriate for
the city to hold it. If there are issues they should be dealt with singularly.
13
What would you chang e about the current licensing system and reg ulations on
short-term rentals, if anything ?
ResponseID Response
10 Allow ST R Licenses to Registered Owners of homes in the City that are not
registered as a "Principal Residence" (for Property T ax Home Owner Grant) but
who are part-time Nelson residents. An appropriate test for part-time Nelson
residency could include any of: 1) clauses written into the By Law 2) restriction to
guest home licence 3) minimum cumulative residency time in Nelson 4) maximum
cumulative short-term rental period time 5) a prescribed statement covering part-
time residency in Nelson to be signed by the Owner 6) a local advocate's
prescribed statement covering Applicant's part-time residency in Nelson to be
signed by the advocate 6) Other
12 - enforce the bylaws around licensing equitably and fairly, or remove them
altogether. It is grossly unfair that some of us operate under threat of tens of
thousands of dollars of penalties while others are ignored.
16 T he current regulations have addressed concerns we have had in the past. We

have operated a B&B in Nelson for 16 years and have always complied with the
city's regulations but we were discouraged to see others operating without a
business licence. T he current system is a big improvement.
17 T he $500 deposit is a bit onerous out of the gates; perhaps consider allowing
applicants to pay half up front and half after the first month of being licensed. T his
is especially so as there are a lot of other initial costs (fire extinguisher, carbon
monoxide detector, etc.).
18 Lower the cost of the business license, give back the $500.00 deposit that you
stole from people and cut the Water and Sewer bills to the same cost as a legal
suite costs. Instead of doubling the cost of water and sewer make it the $322.00
that you charge for a legal suite. Don't force people to sign up for the Nelson
T ourism Fee, this should be a choice, not a demand. Who do you think you
are????
14
ResponseID Response
19 I believe that the 4 month license only in the summer is unfair to non-resident
property owners who rent long term but want to do ST R between renters. Why
is this restricted to student rentals where students are in town from September
to April? T here are all kinds of student programs, internships and certifications
that bring students here for shorter and longer periods of time all year
long.T here are also workers, contractors and other professionals who come
into town for months at a time. Why not allow ST R between these rentals? I also
believe that the need for the property owner to reside at the property is overly-
restrictive. I am grateful that I received an exemption to this part of the bylaw for
2018, however, I do not believe I should have to expose details of my business
to the public record every year in order to receive this. I understand that this is
the requirement that keeps the investors out, but surely there is a way to meet
this without also stamping out creative solutions that are springing up in the
community by committed, engaged residents (who also happen to be landlords)?
21 Perhaps a probationary period regarding the $500 should be applied. For

example., if a business has no infractions over 2 years then they should get their
deposit back. T here should be more faith between the regulators and the city's
small business operators.
22 None. I was part of the original complaint group with a b&b license and the
transition to the new ST R process has been smooth.
26 Nothing
29 T he annual fee for a guest suite is punitive at $800. I would like to see the cost
drop from to $500 per year.
31 Limit summer licenses to principle residences to create an equal playing field

across the ST R system. T he current summer license period is the busiest time of
the year for ST R's. In my opinion the current licensing system encourages
owners of investment properties to arrange their long-term rentals around these
dates to enable them to cash-in on the lucrative summer ST R market.
32 As mentioned in my previous answer I would alter the requirements for owners

that use a house that is not their primary residence. Maybe a first come basis,
capping them, owners must live within 5-10 minutes drive, work and pay their
taxes in the city of nelson. Again a lot of tourists prefer a full house, not a suite or
cabin and prefer walking distance to town. T hey spend a considerable amount of
money while here and help the economy in many ways
15
ResponseID Response
33 *Get rid of 500 deposit *Have a one bed suite yearly fee less than a whole house
* Do away with Kootenay lake tourism membership or offer a better service *
water and sewer fee for those who were paying water and sewer should not see
$1000 jump
34 I think there should be no limit of licenses per street. But a limit for the city.
16
What do you like or support about the current reg ulations? What benefits do
you see, if any?
ResponseID Response
10 City gains needed control of short term rentals Additional long-term rental space
becomes available
12 - it's a smart move to at least start the process of legalizing and regulating the
sector. It is an entirely new source of tourism revenue (the majority of our guests
would not be here if they had to only use hotels; they have larger groups (hotels
are too expensive if you need 4 rooms for a week for one large extended family
group), dietary restrictions necessitating kitchen facilities to cook their own
meals, etc). - the 'sharing' economy is the new normal. T rying to stop it is futile. -
IT SUPPORT S *MY* HOUSING AFFORDABILIT Y. T here was lots of talk amongst
Councillors about how ST R takes away affordable renting options for other
people. ST R makes my housing affordable for me. Don't lose sight of that fact.
16 T he enforcement of regulations. Addresses safety and provides a level play field

for all ST R operators.
17 We support the verification of properties to ensure that guests have safe and
enjoyable accommodation. Although Nelson seems to have a high level of
standard for short term rental properties, it may be in the City's interest to
ensure minimum standards are met going forward. We also appreciate that
regulations and licenses are enforced. T his is critical to ensure that no one
ignores the rules.
18 I think the Development Services and the Mayor and most of the council think
they can magically eliminate the Short T erm Rental operators so they can appear
as savors to the housing crisis in Nelson and area. T he problem is much bigger
than that, give us a break!!! It's pretty obvious to the community that the City of
Nelson doesn't support Short T erm Rentals and little do you realize, how much
revenue it brings into this community.
17
ResponseID Response
19 Honestly, I don't see any benefit to me as a property owner. It increases costs

and has not added any value to my business. It makes ST R within Nelson city
limits uncompetitive compared to those within the RDCK, and, because AirBnB
guests are very price sensitive, we can't necessarily raise our rates to cover this
and so the ST R license fee simply makes it less profitable. Navigating the bylaw to
allow my slightly out of the box situation to come into compliance has taken
many hours of my time on the phone with City employees, writing to Council,
asking for an exemption, and consulting lawyers and accountants trying to make
it work. Perhaps there is a value to the overall system, but as an operator, I don't
see value. I see red tape and added expenses, and the City being overly involved
in my business.
20 I like that the safety standards are high.
21 We appreciate the fact that there's a limit on # of licenses and that through this
process a higher standard of operation is created. Nelson desperately needs
more tourism accommodations and this helps otherwise ST R would get out of
control and drive the already high costs of living even higher. So far there seems
to be a decent balance.
22 It's not much different than the old B and B licensing process. T he fees are a bit
more, which I understand.
26 T hey are fair and thoughtful
29 T he regulations are restrictive and expensive enough that only people who are
seriously interested in ST R are operating. T his reduces competition so thus
increases the possibility that you can actually earn some income from a ST R.
31 As one of the original ST R licencee's I support the City in regulating Nelson's

ST R market.
32 T he requirement for a building inspection prior to receiving a permit to ensure

that renters are getting safe accommodations. Parking requirements is important
too
33 *Inspection is good idea *Limiting the amount will help with balancing housing
rental vs airbnb rental
18
Overall, how satisfied are you with the current short-term rental licence
system?
6% Very Satisfied
17% Very dissatisfied: it should
be less restrictive
17% Dissatisfied: it should be a

little less restrictive
50% Satisfied
11% Neutral
Very dissatisfied: it should be less restrictive 16.7% 3
Dissatisfied: it should be a little less restrictive 16.7% 3
Neutral 11.1% 2
Satisfied 50.0% 9
Very Satisfied 5.6% 1
T ot als: 18
19
Do you have any final comments on short-term rentals in Nelson?
ResponseID Response
10 Home owners who are part-time, permanent residents of Nelson, but whose
principal residence is elsewhere in BC, have demonstrated an emotional or
business connection to Nelson by purchasing a second home and spending time
here. Rule changes to allow ST R Business Licences to these owners would allow
a higher degree of home security and further opportunity to invest in the area for
the owner. Family and group visitors to Nelson needing a place to gather are
given are given a welcome choice. Additional and repeat visitors significantly help
local businesses and the economy.
12 Enforce the bylaws and get a truly level playing field, otherwise operators will
drop out of the legal program and go underground, where you have no revenue
generation and no control.
16 Keep up the current policies.
17 We appreciate the opportunity to welcome guests to our rental suite; hosting

fellow travellers is a pleasure. We encourage the City to ensure that regulations
are designed and enforced properly so that all hosts are following the rules both
legally and ethically. Loopholes (such as properties in separate names) should be
addressed. We would also appreciate more certainty about the City's future
policies around ST Rs. We have made investments in our ST R for the express
purpose of using it in this context, as our space would not be suitable for a long
term tenant.
18 Do your homework! You will see how stringent Nelson is compared to every
other community in the Province. Dealing with Development services is like the
Gestapo of Short T erm Rentals! I want my $500.00 back, lower business license
fees, no enforcement for T ourism fees, water and sewer fees cut in half, allow
people to rent out their entire home if they choose to ( other cities do it )and
stop hassling people!!
19 I hope you will fix this. I'm running a successful business and providing a valuable
service to a highly desirable niche market. I would very much like to get on with it,
focus my time and energy on my tenants and their experience, rather than on the
City and this bylaw.
21 Make sure to actually take these responses seriously and show definitive action
based on that understanding.
20
ResponseID Response
26 No
32 I have found the city of nelson staff to be very helpful in assisting with all
questions that I have had. I think that decisions made have been forward thinking,
travelers preferred accommodations have changed in the past 10 years and it is
important that tourist based economies acknowledge and accept this. Families
prefer kitchens, space, laundry facilities, outside space and bedrooms. T he city of
nelson has done just this, but again I think that there needs to be some
adjustments to the current regulations for full houses. T hese houses are
obviously often not the owners primary residence so some amendments are
required to the current regulations to allow some full houses that are not primary
residences Since the city of nelson does not include mountain station area,
across the orange bridge (minus a few houses), blewett, bonnington, and other
areas, short term rentals are popping up right left and centre in these areas, and
they are not regulated which to me poses serious concern for standards of
these rentals. I understand that this is not the city of Nelson's responsibility but
allowing more short term rentals within city limits would keep tourists close to
town and in accommodations that have been inspected and have a set standard.
33 I just hope the city is listening to this feedback
34 I think it's a little restrictive and could be lightened up.
21
Public Survey - Results
Report for 2018 Nelson Short-Term

Rental Review - Public
Response Counts
Complet ion Rat e: 10 0 %
Complete 108
T ot als: 10 8
1
If you are currently operating a short-term rental in Nelson, please respond

using the survey link that we sent you by email. In responding to this survey, I am
representing :
1% another kind of business

located in the City of Nelson?
(Indicate what kind of business,
3% a tourism/accommodation
if desired)
business located in the City of
Nelson? (Anonymously)
2% the following business or

organisation:
94% myself
myself 94.4% 102
the following business or organisation: 1.9% 2
a tourism/accommodation business located in the City of 2.8% 3

Nelson? (Anonymously)
another kind of business located in the City of Nelson? (Indicate 0.9% 1

what kind of business, if desired)
T ot als: 10 8
2
the f ollowing business or organisation: Count
Hume Hotel 1
Nelson Kootenay Lake T ourism 1
T otals 2
another kind of business located in the City of Nelson? (Indicate what

kind of business, if desired) Count
long term tenancy landlord 1
T otals 1
3
Do you live:
9% outside of Nelson city limits?
91% within City of Nelson city

limits?
within City of Nelson city limits? 90.7% 97
outside of Nelson city limits? 9.3% 10
T ot als: 10 7
4
Communities around the world are strug g ling with the complexities of
accommodating short-term rentals (which are a commercial use) in residential
areas. During the summer of 2016 the City of Nelson eng ag ed in a four-month
project to research short-term rental (STR) reg ulations and conduct public
eng ag ement. The identified objectives of STR reg ulation and licensing were:
ensuring a level playing field for accommodators, safe accommodation facilities
for visitors and tourists, and meeting the housing needs of local long -term
renters. Another objective is preserving the character of residential
neig hbourhoods. City Council has made it a priority to accommodate STRs for
the benefit of visitors, residents, and neig hbourhoods, while at the same time
mitig ating the potential detrimental impacts on communities.Do you believe
that the current licensing reg ulations help achieve each objective?
Yes, they
help meet
Not the
at all Somewhat objectives Neutral/Unsure Responses
Ensuring a level
playing field for 19 25 27 17 88
accommodators 21.6% 28.4% 30.7% 19.3%
Count
Row %
Safe
accommodation 7 21 40 12 80
facilities for 8.8% 26.3% 50.0% 15.0%
visitors and
tourists
Count
Row %
Meeting the
housing needs 49 20 9 11 89
of local long- 55.1% 22.5% 10.1% 12.4%
term renters
Count
Row %
T otals 257
100.0%
5
6
Why are the current reg ulations falling short on "ensuring a level playing field
for accommodators"? What could we do to better meet this objective?
ResponseID Response
2 What we have to pay in comparison is HUGE to be an accommodations business

in the City. T he fees are a a drop in the bucket for ST R operators compared to
what they can make. It should cost them more.
3 Hoteliers collect 2%, which is a much higher amount of money than the $150
tourism fee. T hey also pay many more taxes to run their businesses. With that
said it looks like Airbnb and other ST Rs will be required to collect the 2% in the
future. At that time the tourism fee will be removed. We will need to discuss how
and when this will occur.
5 you need to charge the same rate of tourism tax for all players/accomodators
9 T he licence fee is one amount for a 'suite' however there is no difference if it is a

bachelor suite or a 2 bedroom suite. But the amount that can be gained in rent for
a 2 bedroom is a lot more than a bachelor. I feel that the license fee should be
based on number of bedrooms available for rent.
17 It is apparent that the hotel industry has their teeth of special interest in the City
of Nelson Council. Blaming homeowners for having airbnb's (which by the way
contribute immensely to the tourism industry, ie. I would not visit a town, if I could
not find a nice str to stay in at a reasonable price). In addition this ST R licensing is
just a scapegoat to the city actually taking responsibility on actions to help create
long term housing for people. How about all the vacant land that used to house
low income renters? Ie. Kerr building. Scapegoat a year ago and continues to be
today and in the meantime, limiting ST R to tourists who like to stay in a home
environment without bleached sheets and dirty carpets.
23 It should be a fee for use, rather than a flat fee. For the summer fee of $400 to
work out to 2% of earnings (equal to what hotels pay) you'd have to be earning
$20,000 on your rental. T his really favours somebody who is renting the place
continuously as a business (like a vacation rental). For the casual user of AirBnB,
who just wants to rent their place while they're away on the weekends, it's a lot
to pay.
7
ResponseID Response
31 Reduce fees as the whole reason for people renting out portions of their
property is to continue to be able to afford to live in this increasingly costly city
(remember the property tax hikes and outrageously high assessments everyone
got this year?)
32 have a graduated licencing fee dependant on how much a unit is rented out.
T here is no provision for those who wish to occasionally rent out their extra
room.
33 Air Bnb and similar platforms allow operators to circumvent laws on zoning,
building codes, safety etc and it costs the city to investigate and enforce laws. If
the property falls outside commercial zoned areas they should not be allowed to
operate. T hese platforms are a form of blackmail forcing the city to rezone areas
due to pressure from the most avaricious homeowners. Entire residential
neighborhoods are now mixed use commercial/residential to the benefit of only a
few and it has reduced long term housing stock. Follow the lead of cities like
Berlin and ban it entirely except in commercially zoned areas.
44 Many accommodators are middle class people trying to pay their mortgages
during rising interest rates and increasing home values. T he middle class does
not need more fees and taxes at every opportunity to help pay these costs.
45 you have made it un-affordable for home owners to do a B&B or Vacation rental.
All this does is secure the market for local hotels and now allow them to further
gouge customers.
48 My concern is the hoteliers having empty rooms causing potential

unemployment...if in referring to accommodators you are including them
68 Strictly regulating ST Rs has done nothing to increase the supply for the long-
term rental market. It has only complicated the situation for property owners who
are simply supplying an increasing demand for ST Rs. You're driving the ST R
business out of Nelson city limits and diminishing the city's return on tourism,
that's all.
69 Not enough regulations required for owners of rental units. T he ST R units

appear to be monitored more effectively than long term rentals. Renters are
being taken advantage of with extreme rental prices. T he availability of rentals is
minimal which allows the owner too much power to charge extremely high rent
prices and the renter with no options due to no other vacancies. People simply
cannot afford what is being asked for in rent dollars. T he greed of the "Landlords"
has a negative impact on the individuals who have no option but to pay
exorbitant prices.
8
ResponseID Response
71 Simply because ST Rs are not treated the same as other accommodation

providers in the area. T hose is commercial zones don't have to comply with the
same regulations nor do those ST Rs located outside City limits (in RDCK).
78 You can't tell people who own houses that they have to long term rent if they
only want to do short term rental. T oo many rules and regulations would just ruin
the short term rental situation.
82 Affordable rental units are still limited for working people.
94 Instead of ensuring a level playing field, the regulations in place seem to be

providing encouragement and facilitation of more accommodators than our
community require or can sustain, causing negative impacts on meeting the
housing needs of local long-term renters, and also by reducing the number of
visitors staying in our local hotels and businesses who have much higher
standards of safety and services which cost these businesses considerably more
to operate that private accommodators costs operating private properties. It is
also bringing unnecessary traffic and strangers into residential neighbourhoods.
96 Suites under 450 sq ft should be exempt from a number of criteria, 1) on site

parking 2) 3-airbnb per block. It is obvious that accommodation closer town
center will be more desirable for tourism, therefore increase the number of airbnb
per block. Areas further from downtown will self regulate.
105 I do not see how this really improves the situation of renters in Nelson. T he
housing market is so hard to get into, and then on top of it, rental units have
dramatically increased in cost because of Airbnb. In addition to this, most of the
nicer rental units in town are being turned into short term rentals, making the
options for healthy, affordable, and reasonably nice long term rental
accommodations virturally impossible.
107 ST Rs like Air BnB are not meant to be on a level playing field, they are meant to fill
gaps left by accommodation providers.
9
Why are the current reg ulations falling short on "safe accommodation facilities
for visitors and tourists"? What could we do to better meet this objective?
ResponseID Response
2 Who is checking the safety of hot tubs? Smoke detectors? Businesses are held
to a much higher standard.
18 long term housing in nelson is such an issue that will not go away...airbnb and
short term doesnot help in any way
25 A set of standards dealing with fire safety, security, and health/hygene, enforced
through regular inspections.
28 I'm not sure they should require a building inspection and have to comply with
building code, as a primary residence does't require this and airbnb and other
providers work on ratings, which tends to screen out poor rentals.
31 If a home in its current condition is safe for its occupants, why must it be
drastically modified for short term rentals? Yet another money grab by the city,
taxing the resources of the development services dept, which is already
drastically under-staffed (it took an average of 7 weeks last year to obtain
building permits by contractors like myself)
33 In my view some offerings are equal to or better than a good hotel standard, but
most are not. Operators are more likely to get away with cutting costs by not
maintaining a decent standard. Any accommodation provider should be subject
to the same health and safety standards as a hotel.
68 ST R guests choose their accommodations based on the images and reviews on

the booking sites, not safety regulation compliance--it's irrelevant. T he burden of
overregulation is only ensuring higher costs for hosts, increased costs which are
passed along to guests. You want a diverse tourism economy? Step out of the
way. Airbnb guests support our restaurants and tourism facilities, as well as
homeowners paying taxes!
71 It is not the City's responsibility to provide "safe" accommodation. T hose

providing the service will meet a standard or they won't and the market will weed
out those that tourist are uncomfortable with. T he reality is a lot of homes in
Nelson are old and do not necessarily meet today's building code without
substantial upgrades.
10
ResponseID Response
78 too picky about parking. House owners and long term renters should not be
allowed to have more than 1 car on the street and one on their property. I've
seen,one house with 5 cars parked on the street...and never moved every 72
hours!
94 Allow local hotel/motel businesses who employ staff and higher standards to
provide safe accommodation facilities to continue to fill the needs of temporary
accommodation, and allow residential areas to remain local, safe, non commercial
residential neighbourhooods.
107 It is not the responsibility of the City to manage the safety of the facilities. Most
long-term rentals are not subject to inspection and the ST Rs should be treated in
the same fashion.
11
Why are the current reg ulations falling short on "meeting the housing needs of
local long -term renters"? What could we do to better meet this objective?
ResponseID Response
1 T here is a limited correlation. Demand for ST R is market-driven. Whilst there is a

market, housing stock will be taken from a) permanent residents and b) long-term
rentals. ST R regulations do not affect the inventory of LT R stock unless they are
very restrictive and strictly enforced, and obliged landlords to consider LT R as an
alternative. T he only way to increase LT R housing stock would be to tighten up
on ST Rs further, which I do not recommend. So I see no connection, with the
current regulatory framework, between the two sectors.
2 It's helping but it's still a major problem. Our staff have nowhere to live and some
are getting evicted to make way for Air BnB rentals. Everyone in town, it seems is
getting into the accommodations business. I think we are moving in the right
direction but we have a LONG way to go.
5 long term rentals have virtually disappeared due to these new marketplace
offerings
6 Nothing to do with the regulations, Reality that there are not enough rentals in
Nelson.
9 A lot of the people who rent ST R have said that they would not be renting their
room / suite long term. I don't feel that ST R actually takes many long term places
away. T he City needs to look at creating more LT R situations instead - offer
some encouragement to people who do / want to do LT R eg. reduced taxes,
help with renovations, other incentives.
17 Because the ST R in this area were never the issue to begin with. People who
rent ST R do so for different reasons then people who want to rent suites or
homes long term. Without incentive to rent long term, instead of high handed
restrictions on renting short term, you will not see any changes. I know of more
than one former ST R owner who has decided to shut down altogether, because
a long term rental was not in their best interest or worth the hassle. If you want
to meet the housing needs, allow for the free market. T he best ST R's will only
survive, also, give incentive to long term landlords and give tax breaks on
developers that are building multifamily residential rental units.
12
ResponseID Response
18 its hard to say...with the lack of ability to expand the housing market, airbnb
makes nelson that much more inaccessible for long term rentals. not sure what
the answer is.
23 T he city should be discouraging full-time rental of AirBnB (in otherwise empty

homes / suites). Creating full-time vacation rentals cuts into the rental stock.
However, if somebody is living in the home full time and wants to rent it out
occasionally when they're away, that's where AirBnB should be available to them.
Unfortunately with the high licensing fee, it only makes sense to have a full-time
rental.
25 So long as there is a housing shortage and rental rates are out of reach for local
workers, why are we allowing housing to be removed from the market? T his
makes no sense.
29 I am aware of people losing housing to short term rentals, there are empty units,
homes around me operating as str's at the same time as people look for
affordable family housing.
31 It is not my job as a home owner to provide long term housing to tenants. I have
been a landlord in the past and have no desire to be now. However, I should have
the right to provide short term accommodation within MY OWN home without
interference by the government in order to be able to continue to afford living in
Nelson. Providing affordable long term rental housing is the responsibility of
YOU the CIT Y, BC Housing, and Nelson Cares, not the private home owners of
Nelson. If the right to provide short term accommodation is taken from me by
your red tape and fees, I am not going to automatically revert to having long term
tenants live in my suite. I will most likely leave it empty rather than deal with the
hassle of long term tenants.
33 Many cities have determined that long term housing stock is depleted via rentals
in areas that are not zoned commercially, and would normally only be able to
provide long term accommodation. Ban accommodation in residential areas
completely.
34 A lot is being done to protect tourists, but the tourists don't need more from the
city. Community members need more support and protection. My family feels
trapped in a bad housing situation because we're afraid to enter the rental market
again. Many people feel very insecure about their living situation. It feels like
Nelson doesn't want us anymore.
13
ResponseID Response
36 Unless you plan on building government housing then not much I don't think.
You can't force people to build or convert a property into rentals. And if they did
why would they do long term rental when they can do AirBnB? T here isn't a big
enough upside for the average property owner.
37 Everyone knows we have a housing crisis and our vacancy rate has been below
1% since 2013. T he city seems more concerned with tourists than housing for
actual citizens of Nelson. We have plenty of hotels for a town our size. I don't
know what you could do to make it better, but I'm sure city council could figure
out some solutions.
44 tell people to move to Castlegar or Salmo if they cant find a place
45 the answer to the long term rentals is a combination of lane way housing and
building student housing at the old Mount Saint francis property. If you remove
the Students from the housing problem it opens up more rentals.
51 T here is very little long-term rental housing stock in Nelson. Allowing three
houses per city block to be used as short-term rental housing means that a huge
chunk of potential rentals are no longer available to the families and citizens who
will live and work in the community. Less licenses should be given.
56 See summary in questions below
68 It's a supply and demand market. T here is high demand from both visitors and
long-term renters. You're basically asking property owners to subsidize long-
term renters by telling them to take a lower income on their property rental.
T hat's not the private sector's job. If you want subsidized housing, then create it.
Don't burden property owners with government's failure to encourage or
generate supply in housing.
69 T he city needs more housing, for both market rentals and affordable rentals.
Regulating the amount that can be charged for a rental, based on size of unit,
utilities/amenities included in the rent etc. would assist in avoiding gouging and
renters being taken advantage of by owners of the rental units. Income earned
from rental units should also be declared on income tax returns. If home owners
are renting out suites they should be monitored on some level, whether that is
via their property taxes and subsequent verification that the suites meet building
codes/standards and what is being charged for the unit is in line with guidelines
set out by the city based on above.
72 T here are still very few long-term rental units available. T he cost of long-term
rental units in Nelson is too high.
14
ResponseID Response
75 We need more low income housing for long term renters. Many individuals
working in Nelson are paying to much of their monthly earning to rent.
78 do not add tiny houses to laneways please....
82 Better checking on these short term rentals.
83 Apply the same regulations for apartments located in commercial C1 zoning areas
as they apply to apartments elsewhere in the city.
85 I don't think a Kootenay Lake T ourism membership is enough of a cost for an

Airbnb license. Individuals are gaining an incredible amount of income off their
short term rentals, and can afford a higher price to get one running. Increase, and
make the $500 a payment vs a deposit to deter people from creating airbnbs .
Use this money to help those in need of housing obtain a rental!!! I think you
should decrease the number of licences available as well. 110 seems excessive
with the extremely low vacancy rate Nelson is experiencing.
90 I believe that some short term
93 We need more affordable long-term rentals and I feel short-term rentals in

residential zones may interfere with that. 3 houses on a block seems high. My
block only technically has six houses that face the street, so that means we could
have half our homes as short-term accomodations, and we are not a particularly
spacious neighbourhood.
94 All of the time, energy, and resources that have been focused on short term
accommodation is time, energy, and resources that have not been used to
address the only and very urgent need to provide longterm
accommodation/rentals for locals who can not find housing in Nelsons' zero
percent rental availability. I know several locals who contributed to the local
economy and community who have been forced to leave Nelson even though
they had work established here, because they could not find a home to rent (ie:
room, apartment, or house)
15
ResponseID Response
95 Absolutely NO Airbnb, NO short term rental of entire house or apartment should

ever been allowed, else than rooms in the summer for those renting rooms in
their own home in which they live full time. T here is shortage of long term rentals
for people living and working here. Some are homeless right now living in motel
or with friends. People over 45y old and people with kids!! . Many are moving out
of Nelson to relocate , some going to Eastern Canada as rent is cheaper there
even in bigger towns or cities. And on top because of this shortage, the price of
rent is outrageous high for the size and quality of rental apartments and homes. I
am 56y old and have to spend over 75% of my income for 1bedroom apartment (
hydro and wifi NOT included,). People working on minimum wage have to share
even at my age.Or people with higher hour wages but who cannot work full time.
I cannot share so I have to use my income for shelter and food only, no money for
anything else even second hand clothes, no money for dental, glasses, meds, etc.
T his is a shame that their are Airbnbs and houses and apartments for short term
rental being allowed in Nelson! T his town is losing its soul for money!
96 Small under 450 sqft accommodations are not solving the housing needs for long
term renters. T he town is at capacity and needs development and sustainable
jobs. An increase in tourism will help the town move towards this objective. T he
small under 450 sq ft furnished rentals are similar to hotel rooms and should be
allowed to help bring in tourists.
98 Please see comments in box #10. I would be in favour of extremely limited ST R

licencing, such as summer only to fill in the gaps for those that rent to students.
But otherwise, no other ST R's. I realize this would stir some emotions but I think
the bottom line is it would support a healthier community.
101 encourage low income housing where ever possible encourage infill housing
where ever possible
104 T hese need to shut down entirely until the long term rental situation in Nelson is
improved.
105 Get real about low-income housing. Use all of the "taxes" from ST R for this. If we
did not already own our house, it would be impossible to pay for rent and still live
in Nelson. We are paying less for our mortgage then youth I know paying for a
room in a shared house (and our mortgage is $1,000 a month.) Its really insane!
106 Rent control... Further limit the # of BnB's air or otherwise that can be in town...
16
ResponseID Response
107 A punitive system does not help address the long tern rental issues. If the City
wants to encourage homeowners to provide long term accommodation there
should be benefits (i.e. tax breaks) for providing. Penalizing ST R with unnecessary
fines, bylaws and oversight has just driven people away from making "unusable"
space, usable. T his is like the USA saying that providing teachers with guns will
prevent gun violence at school. It's not addressing the objective/issue directly in
any sense.
108 I don't think the current regulations are making a difference either way; they are
not increasing or decreasing rental stock. I think that there are two different
pools of housing here-- spaces that would be rented long-term and those that
would not anyway. T he key is to ensure that a ST R is only operated with the
current owner residing in the property and that category of person is generally
not likely to want a long-term tenant, nor might it be suitable.
17
To be issued a short-term rental licence in Nelson, in every case there must be at

least one parking space on the property. These are the current minimum parking
requirements: 1 Short-Term Rental Guest Room: 1 parking space on the
property 2 Short-Term Rental Guest Rooms: 2 spaces on the property 3 Short-
Term Rental Guest Rooms or more: 2 spaces for the main dwelling + 1
space/g uest room Secondary Suite or Detached Secondary Dwelling Unit: 1
space per dwelling unit "Guest Home" (entire house): 2 spaces, but only 1 space
for a 31-day or summer-only licence and only 1 space in the Downtown
Residential Zone (R3 zoning ) Furthermore, if sufficient off-street parking
spaces for a Short-Term Rental use cannot be provided on the same lot, up to
one (1) required parking space may be located on another lot adjacent to or
across the lane, or within 100 metres from the subject property.What do you
think about the current parking requirements for short-term rentals?
12% Other - Please explain
9% No opinion/unsure
41% These are the right parking

requirements.
11% There should be no parking

requirements for a short-term
rental.
11% They should be lower.
16% They should be higher.
18
T hese are the right parking requirements. 41.0% 41
T hey should be higher. 16.0% 16
T hey should be lower. 11.0% 11
T here should be no parking requirements for a short-term 11.0% 11

rental.
No opinion/unsure 9.0% 9
Other - Please explain 12.0% 12
T ot als: 10 0
19
Other - Please explain Count
1 space per unit, rather than per room. 1
A multi use dewelling on Creek street has only 1 parking space and during the winter 1
there were 6 vehicle parked on the street on any given night. Parking regulations are not
adequate for these short term rentals. Who polices these infractions.
Limited on street parking. Short term rental parking requirements being ignored. 1
Many homes do not have off street parking anyhow, so it should not matter if a house 1
has off street parking or not.
Not reasonable when so many houses don't have anything other than street parking. 1
Parking in Nelson, both downtown and in residential areas is insufficient at best. Locals 1
can't find parking for themselves and their visitors at the best of times. Now the few rare
spaces are being used for abnb, and filling residential areas with more cars and trafic than
local residents should have to deal with at their homes.
Parking is a problem. I live next door to an Airbnb and the guests have parked in front of 1
my house, because the Airbnb does not have parking on their property. In addition, the
residents have two vehicles.
Residence that have 2 residential parking passes should be allowed to use one of these 1
passes for a guest of an airbnb
T he AirBnB across from my house has several different cars every day, parking without 1
permits in permit parking spaces. We stugfleto
good for non-winter seasons. During winter parking on streets is affected by snow 1
accumulation.
they are parking on the street and shoving out the neighbours who live here all the time 1
this gets the visitor's vehicle off the street but what about the owner's....streets are over 1
crowded now
T otals 12
20
What concerns or issues do you have with the current licensing reg ulations, if
any?
ResponseID Response
1 I am not convinced that regulations are enforced as we, and others we know, are
very aware of ST Rs that still flout the rules, whether that relates to code, parking,
or payment of license fees.
3 I think the City did an incredible job in ensuring there was participation and
discussion on how to best approach making a reasonable policy.
4 T oo many short term rentals in residential neighbourhoods
5 as above
6 T he cap on licences is too high and should be restricted to no more than 55

annual licences and 20 summer licences
8 It feels like the City is overstepping into how residents choose to use their
properties. By creating so many restrictive policies they are cutting off viable
income sources for property owners who are increasingly pinched by continually
increasing taxes
10 I do not like 3 ST R per block, too much! Living next door to one, I hear guests
returning late at night, or car horns first thing in the morning. I live on a normally
quiet no through road. I sometimes get concerned about security, with different
people coming and going next door to me.
11 Allowing exemptions to a ST R that does not meet the Primary Residence

requirement was a mistake on the part of the city. T otally agree with the summer-
only licence be exempt, but do not agree with the city doing one off exemptions!
12 Rental housing for long term residents in Nelson is practically non existent now
because of air b&b. T here is a rental housing shortage here in Nelson. Which is
driving the rental prices up through the roof. T his is a crisis! T here is no
affordable housing for people here in Nelson. Air b&b needs to stop taking away
rentals for permanent tenants. T he city needs to start building more affordable
housing for the community or stop issuing licenses for these short term rentals.
13 Parking enforcement or lack thereof
21
ResponseID Response
14 Concern with strict laundry list of requirements prior to issuing licence. T his list is
not a requirement for long term rentals, so why require for short term?
16 No more regulation!!
17 T he cost and the prohibitions on only being able to rent out your primary
residence. Many people invest in this community as a place to retire to, and
vacation to when they can, if people can only rent out their home if it is their
current primary residence, it is not fair to them to do as they wish with their own
property. Different life situations for different families as well, for those that have
lived and worked in this town for many many years and suddenly find themselves
needing to relocate temporarily means that they do not fit into a regulation
where they either have to rent out long term and then not be able to stay in their
own house when they visit, or they have to leave the house vacant.
18 im torn with this situation. i guess if the airbnb hosts are on par with what all the
bnb and hotel/accommodation fees are in order to operate - i think that should
be fine.
20 My biggest concern is that there is enough affordable housing for people that
live/work in Nelson year-round. I know we need to support our tourism industry
but we really need to support our community.
21 Over charging and over regulating
23 Beginning April 1, the province will collect a 3% hotel tax on AirBnB listings. T he
money will go to local government. T his should all the City to considerably
reduce the licencing fee.
24 My only concern with current regulations is that too many "guest houses" and
"Off Suites", which would be suitable long term rentals are being used for more
lucrative short term rentals by the owners. T his could he resulting in a rental
crunch in the city, causing higher rent and increasing risk of homelessness for
more vulnerable people.
25 No enforcement, lack of health and safety standards.
26 T he displacement of long term renters.
27 T he city should not have regulations on how many short term rentals per block.
Unfair to late entry entrepreneurs.
22
ResponseID Response
28 Overall, a good idea to bring this sort of rental into the 'light'. I am concerned
about over-regulation with house inspections and parking requirements.
29 str property owners and users have not kept up with maintenance, garbage
removal on proper days, snow shoveling. It is what happens when a home sits
empty for periods.
30 stay out of people's private lives and business as long as neighbors are not
impacted or disturbed let people do what they want and don't try to run their
lives
31 See below
32 I think the cost of licencing is prohibitive for people who want to rent out an extra
room in their home on an occasional basis to help make ends meet. I think the
cost of licencing pushes people to rent out their space as much as possible,
running it like a business and by doing this creates a busier neighbourhood.
33 It amounts to certain business interests blackmailing the city into rezoning entire
residential neighborhoods for their own benefit and no benefit to other
residents.
34 T he rental vacancy rate is a huge problem and these ST R
35 parying, different people coming and going and using on street parking. one car
comes...the guest...then five of their friends show up with campers and trucks and
cars all on the street and they pafty on the street...even in winter! the
neighbourhood is not a neighbourhood any longer. we are planning to move out
of Nelson to get some peace back in our lives. the entire city of Nelson should
not be used to accommodate tourists...they need to stay in the hotels and
downtown B and Bs this Council is ruining our right to peace and privacy for the
sake of tourists
36 T he by-law had advertising requirements that included posting Licenses on the

Advertising platforms. I do not see these licenses posted on any/many of the 97
rentals I currently see listed in Nelson on Airbnb. T here doesn't appear to be an
online registry of contact names for the short-term rentals which was part of the
application process and the city was going to provide. You have paid for software
to locate the landlords that have not paid their license. It looks like there are
currently less than 50 of them. Go knock on some doors and ask them to close
down their operation if they are not willing to get licenses. Or better yet leave
your card with the renter. T hat's a few days work.
23
ResponseID Response
37 I think these are the right requirements. I'm concerned with the shortage of
parking and existing blind spots. T he more tourists you cram into residential
areas, the more problematic parking becomes and the more annoyed residents
become.
38 Concerned that the city of Nelson is putting too much onus and restrictions on
home owners on what they can do with their own properties.
39 I am not going to pay ...I haven't for 10 years so why would I start now
43 Short term rentals change the fabric of the micro neighborhoods. if you have a
neighbourhood Inhabited by long-term rentals they Are part of the community
and tend not to be noisy or misbehave—the neighbours can speak to them
because they know them. Short term occupants however are not accountable to
the neighbourhood in the same way and I have seen them treat the
neighbourhood like a hotel room for which they have no neighbourly
responsibility.
44 increasing Cost to accommodators
45 this is just another tax grab by the city that increases the cost of living here. Some
people use the B7B and Vacation rental scheme to help them to afford to live
here.
49 I like the license fee but I think people should be able to rent out their homes
however they want. T hey are the ones paying for it and the taxes
50 None, let them do it
51 My concern is the amount of licenses allowed, which removes potential long-

term rentals.
53 -parking concerns and short term renters who do not care about their impact
have completely changed the nature and flavour of our neighbourhood. It used
to be a stable, quiet neighbourhood. Now there is an ongoing string of issues-
that ranges from partying and fireworks in the summer, to parking on access
roads, especially in the winter. It has completely changed the entire character of
the neighbourhood- and not for the good. Just so people can make more
money- but at the inconvince of everyone else who has to put up with it. When
did houses become zoned for commercial accommodations? T hey operate
completely outside of building codes etc. Regulations simply cannot reinstate a
neighbourhood. - that's what zoning and land use planning does.
24
ResponseID Response
54 I believe that there are too many
55 Parking requirements not considering if the owner has multiple vehicles that use
up all the spaces on the property and spaces on the road already. Also
enforcement is very poor in regard to finding illegal short term rentals currently
operating in Nelson.
56 T he naive assumption or willful conciliation that home owners with a desire to

rent some or all of their space have just two options, ST R or LT R when for a lot of
folks the third option of no rental is currently the most sensical. T hough hardly a
municipally matter over-regulation and the prioritization of (bad) tenant rights
over individual property-owners rights keeps some potential landlords from
entering the LT R game. Between ST R's and no rental at all, at least ST R's provide
some economic benefit to the region by bringing in outside tourism dollars. I'd
propose unrestricted ST R licensing with say a 25% (or slightly more) municipal
tax that would go directly towards affordable high-density LT R housing
construction. If you want to play the ST R game you will pay a heavy tax but at
least the option is there for whomever sees this as a better alternative than
potentially getting stuck with a bad LT R tenant.
59 I don't like the fact that it is required to be a primary residence. I don't believe
Nelson has the highest rate for ST R as an Airbnb renter I have stayed in
revelstoke and Fernie, both of which at the time had much higher rates than the
accommodation I was renting out on Airbnb at the time. T hese rules make it hard
for families that want to rent a 3-4 bedroom and share on vacation costs.
60 Short term rentals should be in commercial area, not residential which is designed
for long term housing, with exception to summer licenses where they otherwise
accommodate students.
61 I feel like I missed out in a way because I decided to long term rent my legal suite
at my place 5 years ago when everyone was telling me it was perfect for AirBnB.
T hat said, I feel good about being a fair landlord and I respect the rules. I want to
know if a a couple random weeks a year if I AirBnB my place if I will get
reprimanded? Seems crazy to sit empty if Im not around.
62 Won't express opinion
66 T he major concern is that the City is dimply putting up red tape and limiting
property owners and potential revenue streams. Further to this, having bylaws
that don't match the RDCKs just pushes visitors to stay outside the City because
it's available and affordable.
67 All site may not have the parking recommended. Not all guests require parking.
25
ResponseID Response
68 T he whole notion that Nelson has traffic or parking problems is laughable.

Anyone that lives or stays in town can walk, or find parking and walk a couple of
blocks. Are hotels required to provide the same volume of parking? Absolutely
not.
70 It seems like everything in Nelson costs more than the average city especially
taxes. T he City of Nelson should not have higher short-term rental licence fees
than other cities. It should just be the average. No more-no less.
71 T oo much oversight and involvement by the City.
73 Cost is real high
74 People who want to rent short term are finding methods to ignore and work
around the regulations.
77 None
78 If you were strict with the house owners who take up spots on the street there
wouldn't be the problem. You're trying to encourage tourists, not chase them
away. Not enough by law enforcement...one/two? officers for the whole of
Nelson!!
81 I don't like the cap on licences, especially the per block cap. T his does not create
a level playing field for accommodaters. It benefits the first 3 people on the block
who get a licence and harms everyone else afterwards who needs one to help
pay our ridiculous mortgages.
82 Some areas home owners concerns are ignored. parking where the short term
rental has absolutely no off street parking. How do they get a licence?
83 T he apartment that I live in happens to be zoned C1, therefore the current

regulations for rentals longer than 31 days are different than the regulations for
an apartment in an area zoned residential. Our's is a residential apartment and
should be regulated the same as all other residential apartments in the city.
26
ResponseID Response
85 T here are too many licences being given out. Please see my comment above. We
are seeing such low vacancy rates (and have been for years now), that the
number of licenses given out should reflect what the community needs. Right
now, as everyone is aware, the community is desperate for long-term rental units.
EXAMPLE: Renters whose homes have been sold by landlords are being forced
to leave their community due to the lack of rental housing available. A lot of this
kind of thing is happening to seniors who have spent their lives in Nelson and
contributed to the community in many ways for many years. When seniors (or
anyone for that matter) can't find housing, and are displaced to communities with
fewer resources and lack of connections, it is detrimental to their wellbeing. T his
issue has a tremendous impact on the livelihood of our own community
members.
87 T he airBNB across from my house is totally abusing the regulations. It's not their
principle residents and they have unpermitted cars taking up all of the local
parking spots. And the Nelson bylaw officers NEVER bother to give tickets. We
are, in effect, funding this guys airBNB through parking spaces. T errible rules,
terrible enforcement. I can't wait for this council to get voted out. Worst council
ever, and I was born here.
89 T here is almost no long term rental availability in this town, which has pretty
dramatic impacts for student accomodation and staffing for businesses, etc.
90 T here are too many cars parked on main and side streets in Uphill during the
winter months. Often streets with one lane on either side become two lane
during winter months. And there isn't really any compliance with odd and even
parking for snow clearing. T hus, I would question the off street parking
regulations, and wonder in reality is this in fact being followed. What if those
renting a short-term rental that fits 5 people, in fact have two cars? T hat means
one car provided for off-street parking, and the other in the rental 'group' will be
on-street.
93 I don't think there should be short-term rentals around schools. T hose rentals
should be encouraged for families, plus I feel safer knowing who is in the
neighbourhood where many children walk each day.
94 Current licensing regulations are an encouragement to provide shortterm

accommodation for people out of town (who could be helping our local
hotels/motels and b&bs to thrive), instead of encouraging local property owners
to instead provide urgently needed longterm accommodation for locals in our
community.
27
ResponseID Response
95 No Airbnb, short term rental of entire house ever, and only bedroom in the
summer when students are gone. I explained in question 4 Nelson Landlords are
greedy enough as it is.
96 No i agree with regulation and fees for remain.
97 I think the deposit is ridiculous, I'm sure police and bylaw enforcement get called
much more often to the bars in the downtown and what deposits do they pay.
Very discriminatory policy and totally unnecessary. Whoever thought that one
up?
98 See box 10.
101 funds recieved from licensing should be redirected to low income housing
102 I'm confused as to the 3 units per block rule. Surely if all other requirements were
met having more than 3 would not be an issue.
103 Overbearing on business owners. Bad tenants and bad tenant laws are making
this move to str so huge If the city wants affordable housing it should build it, not
expect it's citizens to cover the problem at their detriment
106 I have one major problem with the current regulations and that is that there is no
distinction between what is required of someone to have a guest room vs a suite
or house listed on airbnb... I think that it is suites and houses that really need to
be protected for local long term renting. Guest rooms and couches are a
different story and being able to list them on airbnb can actually help locals meet
their own housing costs. T hat is the case for me. I have a room with it's own
bathroom in the house that I had listed on airbnb for a number of years. It got
booked sporadically, but the income from it helped me meet my own housing
costs. For a # of reasons this is not a room that I can rent out long term... So it's
empty most of the time now. I own, live and work in the house. Without the
airbnb income I am having a hard time meeting making ends meet. With significant
yearly increases in property taxes and water/sewer/garbage costs, this was a
way to help bridge the gap for me. T here was no way I could begin to meet the
requirements, starting with not having a driveway. I was told that I could apply for
a variance, for $500 for one year and it was not guaranteed that I would get it...
T his in and of itself made the regulations exclusive for me. I believe the city has
gone overboard trying to control people from listing guest rooms and couches
and should stick to the suites and houses...
107 T he City is wasting valuable time and money in micro-managing ST Rs. It is one
thing to require a license for operation but creating very restrictive regulations
and carrying out inspections is overstepping what is necessary.
28
ResponseID Response
108 My concern is that the annual licence fee is too high, particularly for the
"secondary suite" category. If the fee were more reasonable, I believe there
would be greater compliance.
29
What would you chang e about the current licensing system and reg ulations on
short-term rentals, if anything ?
ResponseID Response
3 It may be good to have a ST R undergo an inspection before they pay their

tourism fee. T here were a few times I had to refund people. Not a big deal, but the
flow of approvals might be better to have city approval first, then licensing from
NKLT and then City.
4 Less of them allowed in residential areas
8 Remove parking restrictions and lessen fees associated fees
10 ST R need to provide their own parking, on their property, no exceptions. No

more than 1 ST R per block in a single detached residential neighbourhood.
People running ST R must enforce quiet times, to not disturb neighbours.
11 Now that the Province has an agreement in place to collect tourism tax that
moving forward the following membership should not be required!- All annual
licence holders must hold a Nelson Kootenay Lake T ourism membership (in-lieu
of the 2% tourism tax levied on other local accommodators, such as hotels)
12 Stop issuing short term licenses so permanent residents can have places to live!
13 Requirement for parking of multiple vehicles to not infringe on the neighbors.
14 Relax the requirements for issuing business licence to short term rentals
16 Easier to get lisence for in law suites
17 Anyone, who has a business in this town or has lived here for more than 8 years,
should able to ST R their home even if it is not their primary current residence.
T hey have invested in this town and the this town should recognize their need to
keep their home accessible and affordable to them as life circumstances may have
changed.
30
ResponseID Response
18 I think the parking thing is a little bit strange - Nelson has a very strange
relationship with parking in this town so this applies to the parking in and around
the area in general. I think lower the amount of needed parking. By requiring more
parking space we are allowing our city to make more room for vehicles and less
of a need for better transit biking/walking. Its so interesting to me that people are
here for the mountain lifestyle of the outdoors but expect to park anywhere and
everywhere in this town. We need to become much less dependant on vehicles
and the only way to encourage that is to offer less and less parking all around.
19 I would not let entire houses become air B&Bs there is an extreme housing
shortage and this is the reason.
20 T he licensing system and regulations seem fair.
21 Over regulating everything. If a house is safe for the family it is safe for a guest.
Outrageous expectations and charges in some cases
23 Add a category for 20-30 non-consecutive days for people who want to rent
their primary residence when they're just going away for a week now and then
throughout the year. Don't let people rent their vacant suites or secondary
homes. It should only be for people renting their primary residence where they
live most of the year.
24 I would suggest limiting licenses for full houses and off suite apartments. T ry to
save those properties for long term rentals. T hough I am unsure home many ST R
licensees register for single/multiple rooms, rather than off-suites and full
properties. Perhaps full properties should only be elidigble for summer only
licenses, to insentivise long term rental. Hard to make meaningful suggestions
without all the data.
25 More enforcement, a more elaborate set of standards to ensure the safety of

guests.
26 Not allow any more until there is a rental vacancy rate increase sufficient to
accommodate those displaced or being displaced by short term rentals.
28 On streets with plenty of street parking available, why require on-property

parking at all (or so much)? T his essentially rules out smaller homes/lots from
joining the ST R market. We still seem to create laws for cars, not people.
30 See 5 above
31
ResponseID Response
31 Everything. Get rid of it. It is a poor attempt to solve a problem that never existed.
Private home owners choosing to occasionally rent a room in their homes in
order to pay their mortgage was never a problem that required a solution. My
neighbor has done it for years and the only hassle we ever experienced from it
was when the building inspector began screaming at her in the street after she
applied for a license.
32 I would like to see a graduated licencing fee so those who wish to rent out an
extra room occasionally. T he current fee is prohibitive in this circumstance.
33 Ban accommodation in residential neighborhoods.
35 there are more of them operating under the radar. other airb&b sites ..not called
airband b ...are popping up online. the city is not in 100 % compliance..that is just
PR...there are all kinds on one block...not just what is allowed. there are entire
houses with people coming and going and the owner does not live there. there
should be none inour neighbourhoods. you are destrying our peace and
privacy...drinking and pot smoking on the street
36 T hat variances are not allowed. T he ink was barely dry on the by-law before you
tried to push through a parking variance on one rental. How can we trust the by-
laws if you can variance your way through them? T he City and the licensed short-
term landlords haven't even complied with the current by-law (let alone the
landlords that haven't gotten licenses.)
37 In a perfect world, hotels would be for tourists and homes would be for
residents. My change would be to not have short term rentals permitted at all, but
I know that times have changed and the city must do it's best.
38 Allow any part or all of a primary residence in any zoning to be used as a short
term rental without restrictions as long as a license and fire infection be done and
passéd.
39 Regulations only cost everyone more taxes
42 Seem pretty good
43 I would not allow short-term rentals.
44 Reduce the fees
45 drastically reduce the licensing fees..
32
ResponseID Response
49 Is a safety inspection really necessary? Up to the homeowners to have liability

insurance isn't it
50 None
51 I think it should be more restrictive.
53 No short term rentals in residential areas. Especially if ; 1) it is putting local hotels,

proper b & b's out of business, 2)there is a shortage of long term rentals, 3)the
area has been zoned as residential before.
54 Not allow any
55 Enforce illegal rentals. And enforce illegal parking. T his is not being done or not
being done efficiently.
56 See above - unrestricted licensing, heavy taxation on ST R. T axation under this

model works as a consumption tax. Significant punitive measures for those
caught attempting to evade registration and taxation.
59 Primary residence
60 Zoning
61 Exception for very occasional short term rentals.
62 Cash grab. Not all long term renters are desirable. T he RT B needs to be given a
total review.
66 Get rid of parking requirements and inspections. If air BnB uses this model
worldwide successfully without local government bylaws and insures the hosts,
there is obviously not much of an issue
68 Loosen the regulations. ST Rs supply a separate type of housing from long-term

rentals and hotels, and are enriching the local economy, not robbing hotels of
business. When a family moves to Nelson and can't find a home immediately in a
tight rental market, are we really solving the issue by limiting supply of homes for
rent through increasing regulation?
70 See category 5.
33
ResponseID Response
71 Remove the licensing or remove the stringent requirements. T he market will

dictate and self regulate based on demand. Allow people to use their homes to
provide accommodation and authentic experiences without red tape.
72 I would allow for exceptions if the max capacity is reached for total allowable ST R
in Nelson. A homeowner should be allowed to apply for an exception to rent out
their home and be charged an extra fee to do so. T his would allow for people
going away for under one month to rent out their home if all allowable rental
permits are already purchased. T he increased charge for doing so would bring in
extra revenue to the City as well.
73 Reduce 2% stipend to T ourisn Association to 0.005%
74 More restrictive.
77 Nothing
78 If people want to rent out, let them...
79 T hey are a tad strict. So many places have street parking so what's the problem
with that?
81 I would remove the cap on licences to make it more fair to everyone. I would also
allow properties where the owner does not reside to get a licence.
82 Limit the areas where these rentals can be.
83 Apply the same regulations for apartments located in commercial C1 zoning areas
as they apply to apartments elsewhere in the city.
85 See above. Lower the number issued until we have a more reasonable vacancy
rate. It seems to me, when I look on AirBnb, there are some homes listed in
Nelson that do not present as people's principal residence.. "T he property must
be the applicant's principal residence, except for a summer-only licence. T his is to
accommodate those renting to students where the students leave for the
summer, allowing them to do short-term rentals for the summer months". How is
this being monitored?
87 100% compliance my ass. So I just happen to live across from the only one that is
breaking the rules?
88 Remove the 3 per block rule.
34
ResponseID Response
91 T hree to a block seems excessive. some locks have 5 homes
92 Remove the $500 deposit.
93 I would require landlords to educate all their guests on and enforce, where
feasible, city policies regarding on-street parking, so that the odd-even plowing
and street cleaning can happen. In front of my house is often missed by plows
and cleaners because of people not knowing about parking policies.
94 Make the regulations an incentive to provide longterm housing in our community

instead of facilitating local property owners to make more money in the short
term. Why would anybody bother with longterm rentals when Nelson has made it
so much easier and more lucrative to provide short term stays to tourists? Based
on these regulations, nobody is, and locals are out of luck, out of home, and
being forced out of town.
95 No Airbnb, short term rental of entire house ever, and only bedroom in the
summer when students are gone. I explained in question 4
96 As i previously said this town has a large tourism industry , so lets not cool that
industry by discouraging people to participate.
97 I puke make the old fashioned regular B and B licence much less restrictive, ie up
to two rooms in a house occupied by the owner with breakfast included. T hese
were not th problem, it is the entire home and apartment rentals that were
causing complaints and those are the ones that reduced the rental market
availability. It was like you threw the baby out with the bath water. Again, crazy,
spending money enforcing an issue that you created
102 Please dont do anything more that makes it hard for people to make money off of
their properties. Especially with the cost of real estate lately. Without income
generation many locals would have to buy in Ymir or Castlegar and Nelson will be
only affordable to rich Americans or Albertans or people from Vancouver. You
will make the problem worse if you meddle too much. Furthermore- it isn't up to
homeowners to provide rental suites. We need to build more apartments.
103 Remove them. If it is safe and clean that is enough. City does nothing to earn the
income so don't take it from the people who are
106 I would not ask for a license for guest rooms, only homes and suites, or at least
make easier and different regulations for people to book couches or guest/single
rooms within people's own living space...than separate suites or houses...
35
ResponseID Response
107 I would simply make it so that a business license must be held by all ST Rs. T here
should be no restriction on density, parking requirements or compliance with
building codes. Realistically most dwellings in Nelson were built to meet old
codes and upgrading to today's standards unrealistic.
108 Lower the cost of the annual license. Lower the deposit.
36
What do you like or support about the current reg ulations? What benefits do
you see, if any?
ResponseID Response
1 I applaud the fact that the City of Nelson recognizes that this is a problem for
tenants, other businesses, neighbors and neighborhood societies. It should be
commended that there has been some action and follow-through. Not all bylaws
can be thoroughly enforced, and it seems that the City is doing a fairly good job.
3 T he ST Rs are now a valid business, as they should be. I think they now see their
role in the community and tourism.
4 It's good to keep track of them
6 Gives visitors to our are a variety of options to choose from
10 I think they are not strict enough. T he cap on numbers needs to be lower. T he
long term rental situation in Nelson is pathetic. When I moved here in 2016, as a
responsible, mature, professional person, I was unable to find accommodation. I
had to rent an Airbnb, because that was all there was. I have heard similar from
others who tried to find long term accommodation in Nelson. T his needs to
change! Also, I bought my house in a quiet neighbourhood, away from traffic and
downtown businesses. West Gore St, in Rosemont is a quiet, low traffic, safe
residential area. T he hotel and ST R businesses belong downtown, or on quiet
rural property with plenty of space for parking and guests.
12 None.
13 Are they enforced??? T his is not helping rental occupancy in Nelson
14 None, this is forcing homeowners to take their units off the market completely.
For some owners, they cannot have long term rental and so they turn to short
term rental, which is now restricted
16 Payment is fine
17 I think needing an inspection is a good thing to keep things safe.
18 Accommodation fees
37
ResponseID Response
21 Awareness of parking issues in some areas is important. Understanding that all

neighbourhoods in Nelson are not the same is more important.
23 It's good to have a record of how many short term rentals are operating and
know that they're safe and have sufficient parking.
24 Short term rentals can be a great sourse of income to help suplement

homeowners expenses. It's getting harder and harder to own property these
days and I don't like to begrudge people from utilizing it. Also, for a city lile nelson,
which thrives on tourism, ST Rs are essential to support that industry.
26 I don't. I'm being displaced.
27 T he number of short term rentals allowed in the city should not be regulated by
the city.
28 It creates a more fair playing field in the tourism/visitor market. I'd like to think it is
going to increase rental stock for local residents and would love to know if that
happens. Is there a way to find out?
29 Regulation seems well considered. I hope that true local housing is considered as
a goal resulting from these by laws.
30 see 5 above,
31 none
32 I like the parking and the safety requirements to ensure less disruption to a
neighbourhood and that people are being housed in a safe environment.
33 Pretty much nothing. AirBnB and similar platforms allow people to turn their
homes into hotels while often flying under the radar. Many cities have caved in by
rezoning residential neighborhoods instead of enforcing existing bylaws.
35 nothing... o benefits to the neighbourhood...just to restaurants etc. all geared to

please tourists and destrying our neighbourhoods...creepy men ogling little girls
on the street...our neighbourhood is not safe any longer
36 T he desire to own and operate a rental business should not inconvenience my

neighbors. If I can't provide the requirements for a business I shouldn't be running
the business. Keep the by-laws as they are.
38
ResponseID Response
37 I like that it's limited and not a free for all. I like that you have rules for available
parking. I don't like much else when we have a major housing crisis and people
struggle to find places to live while tourists are catered to.
38 Like the license and fire inspections.
39 Zero
40 Good for tourism. People like Airbnb. More interesting. Licence makes sure
accommodations are safe.
41 I think the licence fees are good. Putting something back into the community.
42 Safety inspections is a good thing
44 Off street Parking
45 I do support that the building should adhere to some minimum standards
47 I like Airbnb. My family usually stays in one when they visit. I stay in them when I
visit other places. It adds to the interesting culture of Nelson. Homeowners are
the ones paying the high taxes, why not let them rent out some space short term
49 T he fee brings in some revenue to the city. Brings in tourists who actually spend
money in the town
50 It seems to keep people safe and let's tourism grow
53 I applaud your efforts for trying to regulate ST R. Sadly, I don't think that is the
answer. I.e. What will it really change? What family, retired person, or average
citizen wants different people coming and going through their neighbourhood on
a perpetual, never ending basis? Again, kudos for your efforts. I think the answer
lies in looking at the long term effects on the businesses of Nelson ( no, I do not
own a hotel ), the neighbourhoods, safety issues etc.
55 None of the regulations have benefit if not enforced. I would tend to support
them if they were.
56 Registration helps level the playing field across the ST R market as well as
traditional commercial lodging. Registration also helps ensure basic safety
standards are being met (although I do see some government overreach with
certain code requirements).
39
ResponseID Response
59 I like that there are inspections for safety concerns and the fees are reasonable
for community development.
60 Restrictions are good. I think incentives could be made for developers. So if they
develop housing which supports 8 (for example) or more units, then they have
the option for a certain percent of their development to be used for short term
rentals, while the majority of the development supports the long term housing
need.
61 Good for tenants
66 T he good neighbour policy is the only part that I can agree with
68 I see zero benefit for the long-term renters, short-term renters, or property
owners. ST Rs are not coming back on the market for long-term renters. Want
proof? Have rent prices gone down? Have vacancy rates increased? No. In that
light, the regulations are an utter failure. Furthermore, the city is limiting the
income potential of property owners, who are already burdened by ever-
increasing costs in terms to taxes, utilities, etc. For homeowners with flat
incomes, the options are to sell or find ways to generate greater income, as
through ST Rs.
70 Parking is an issue in Nelson whether its the downtown core or the residential
streets. T he requirement for parking spaces should be increased. An example of
where the current rule will fail is if the owner of the property leaves a car at the
property while the property is being rented and the guests are required to park in
the street. Just ensure the current parking situation does not get any worse than
it already is.
71 None
72 I think it is important to regulate ST R in a community like Nelson where LT R are

getting harder to come by and even more difficult to afford.
73 Cap on licenses good ... every 3 yr regulation reviews excessive should be every
7 years
74 Support, they have had an impact, but still see to many people coming for a short
term, being disruptive to neighbours.
40
ResponseID Response
77 I support airbnb. When we first moved to nelson 2 years ago my family and I
stayed in an airbnb in nelson for one month while we looked buy a home. We had
such a great experience. I'm glad the community is working with airbnb providers
in a positive way
79 Brings money to the community
81 I personally think we were doing just fine without the regulations. I'm struggling
to see a benefit. I understand that you want to help the long term rental market,
but as homeowners we're just trying to find ways to be able to own a house and
pay our mortgages. I think different measures should be taken to solve the long
term rental shortages, like allowing us to build carriage houses. Loosen all the
regulations so that we can build so much housing that we saturate both the
short and long term rental markets.
82 Nothing and None
83 Alex T humm and the Bylaw enforcement officers are doing an excellent job
enforcing the current regulations. Koodoo's to them!
85 I like that finally some regulations have been put in place.. so T HANK YOU!.
Airbnbs have been a huge concern of mine for years now.. they are ruining rental
markets across the North America and have a huge impact on vulnerable
populations' ability to find appropriate housing. I'm glad you are asking the public
for opinions.
87 If you don't enforce the rules, what's the point?
90 I support that the short-term rentals are charged the full amount of the extra
sewage/water, and the secondary suites/long term are now charged a
discounted rate. As the province changes the tenancy act, I believe there are
other benefits that Nelson could provide to long term rental landlords. Has the
city council explored ways to support long term rentals, so that more landlords
with long term rentals do not decide short term is a more appropriate choice?
93 I'm not a big fan of short-term rentals in residential neighbourhoods, but I'm
REALLY not a big fan of houses that sit empty all winter waiting for their owners
to come in summertime. I would rather see skiers enjoying themselves and
properties maintained with sidewalks cleared than empty homes. I also appreciate
that landlords who mainly rent to students have the option of summer short-term
rentals. T hat helps keep things more affordable for students.
41
ResponseID Response
94 Richer locals get richer, while poorer locals who work, volunteer and make up the
fibre and culture of Nelson, are still left out of the picture. Since this whole
discussion of abnb/ short term rentals has come up in Nelson, there has been
little if no concern or focus on addressing the local housing issue that persists,
for local who pay taxes ( and yet are still left out in the cold)
95 I support nothing, No benefits.
97 I like that you clamped down on the whole home and apartment rentals, theses
needed some regulations
103 Nothing. No benefit to anyone but the tax takers
106 T hat there is an attempt to protect the local long term renters market. It's
thoroughness. You clearly mean business...and it's working as far as response
rate...
107 T he only benefit is a revenue stream for the City to issue the business licence.
T here is no benefit to property owners.
108 I'm very much in favour of ensuring the spaces are safe for visitors and that the
character of the neighborhood is respected as well as the impact on neighbors
minimal. In fact, with a lower annual fee and greater compliance it would likely
achieve those objectives more easily.
42
Overall, how satisfied are you with the current short-term rental licence
system?
4% Very Satisfied
be less restrictive
24% Satisfied

be more restrictive
9% Neutral

little more restrictive
little less restrictive
Very dissatisfied: it should be less restrictive 17.1% 18
Very dissatisfied: it should be more restrictive 23.8% 25
Dissatisfied: it should be a little less restrictive 13.3% 14
Dissatisfied: it should be a little more restrictive 9.5% 10
Neutral 8.6% 9
Satisfied 23.8% 25
Very Satisfied 3.8% 4
T ot als: 10 5
43
Do you have any final comments on short-term rentals in Nelson?
ResponseID Response
2 Already made comment, thank you.
3 T hank you for making this process professional, thorough and fair.
5 I am glad the city has addressed them but they need to enforce and help the
accommodators with the marketing costs. right now they have a free ride.
8 T he policies in place are far too restrictive. With any business, supply and
demand will self regulate. If there were too many rentals available people would
not find it profitable and would discontinue. T he policies have done nothing to
encourage long term rentals. Personally, I would be interested in running an ST R
but would not rent out long term so in effect the policies have made no gains.
10 Place strict limits on the numbers, and make sure there are no impacts on the
neighbourhood.
12 Help people who live in Nelson find permanent affordable housing by banning
these short term rentals! T here is an affordable housing crisis here in Nelson. Air
b&b is pushing residents out of the city to more affordable place to live. T he
vacancy rate on Nelson is so low, it's pushing up the price of permanent rental
housing. And making it unaffordable for people with low income. Like people who
work minimum wage jobs for example.
17 T he city has failed to see the value of how this ST R industry complements and
encourages tourism. ST R's have been scapegoated.
18 not at this time.
19 I own my own home so the housing shortage does not affect me but it affects so
many people I know. It is so sad to see houses being taken away from long-term
renters.
44
ResponseID Response
21 People get angry about the short term rentals but it is not my responsibility to
house the low income workers that come to town. As a single person trying to
live in Nelson I should be able to choose how live in my space(within reason). In
Banff business owners are responsible for ensuring housing for their employees.
It should be on their backs to ensure accommodations for their people, not the
city and not mine. T hese regulations hurt the home owners who are trying to
have a life in Nelson and does nothing for the high income hotel owners. T hey
are "busier than ever" and yet want me to house their employees for low rent
23 Short term rentals are an important income source for people in our community
and should be encouraged. I don't have a lot of money to go on vacations
throughout the year and would like to be able to earn income from my home
when I'm travelling, to put that money towards my vacation. I get three weeks of
vacation per year and go away for the occasional long weekend. I'd expect to
make about $2500 per year renting my one-bedroom house. It simply doesn't
make sense for me to buy an $800 business license unless I'm renting it out
much more frequently. I'd like to see a new licensing class added for occasional
use of AirBnB.
28 Glad we're working on this.
30 stay out of people private lives and let them do what they want with their
properties unless it impacts the enjoyment of their neighbors.
32 I like that there is an opportunity to offer tourists an alternative to staying in a

hotel/motel. I use AirBNB when I travel and it has let me stay longer in a
destination because of the price of accommodation offered. I also like to ability to
make some extra money to help with homeowner expenses such as property tax.
33 Ban them outside commercially zoned areas.
35 get rid of them
36 I can't be satisfied with the current short-term rental system because no one has
actually complied with it. T he city was going to provide a contact directory of
landlords for the neighbors. Where is it? T he licensed landlords needed to post a
number of items in their advertising. T hey don't. You paid a fortune in software to
track down the unlicensed landlords. T hat's less than 50 people. T rack them
down already.
37 I'm wondering how you monitor the 'short term rentals' that are advertised on
Facebook groups every day, the pages have far more one to a few month
accommodations than long term rentals. I dare you to take a look to see how
many long term rentals vs. short term rentals are being offered in this town.
45
ResponseID Response
39 I will rent when I want and to who I want. My view is People are friends....do u
need a license if a friend stays at your place. Another tax grab
44 With the amount of people moving to Nelson and increased tourist traffic staying
in ST R's how about providing more parking downtown.. We are telling to people
to come visit and move here but there is no increase in space. T he town is
becoming plugged.
49 It's better to allow than waste money trying to shit them down. People like
Airbnb. Homeowners will try to do it anyway
50 T hey help our economy
51 In a city with such a finite housing supply, I think it's important to make sure that
the people who want to live and work in Nelson and contribute to the community
can do so. Short-term rentals should be more restrictive.
53 ST R's should only be allowed under exceptional circumstances- e.g, summer or

winter games. I believe ST R's first popped up in cities in relation to Olympics and
commercial accommodation shortages. T here is no need for them in Nelson. And
in fact, they do more harm than good - except to the pocketbook of the individual
landowner. It's everyone that 'pays'. // nb I used to be completely neutral on the
topic - until I began to see the ripple effects that weren't apparent initially. Now I
don't have one good thing I can say about them. ( sorry. ).
55 I'm very concerned as I've observed noncompliance to the current regulations.

Also have observed renters urinating outside in front of our grandchildren. A
woman running around outside naked. A two lane street restricted to one lane
account of multiple renters and owners vehicles parked on it. I hate to sound so
negitive but as a resident most of my life in Nelson I feel I have to speak out.
T hank you.
56 Dwindling LT R availability is obviously a concern in Nelson however the current

incentive structures for property owners currently favour ST Rs in a lot of cases.
Rather than hard-capping ST Rs by fiat, why not try to re-align the incentive
structures (ie. high taxation on ST Rs, reduction of some regulations/enhance
landlord rights around LT Rs) and watch the free market correct this problem on
it's own - increased LT Rs, reduced ST Rs, happy tenants and vacationers, and
property owners satisfied they were able to choose which rental structure best
fits their needs and values.
59 Alow for secondary homes to be rented as Airbnb perhaps only allowing a

certain amount of licences per street/ community area or throughout Nelson.
46
ResponseID Response
60 Is there a survey identifying utilization of the current hotel and str spaces?
65 Going to happen anyway, might as well have paid licences instead of paying to try
to shut them down. Probably wouldn't work.
66 T he restrictions do nothing to encourage people using space in their homes for

long term rentals (which was the intention). I know several people who could use
the secondary income stream but can't because of ridiculous restrictions such as
available off street parking. It's very unfortunate that the City has put so much
time and energy into bylaws that effectively hurt property owners and push
tourists outside City limits when seeking accommodation
67 When I travel I prefer short term rentals over hotel/motel accommodations as I

have dietary restrictions. T hese types of rentals allow me to make my own meals
and have a better trip. I know that large deposits scare me. I tend to take pictures
of every damaged area in fear of being charged for someone else's damage. I
understand the fear of partiers but $500 is too much. It should have a flexible
amount reflective of the type of accomodation, number of neighbors who could
be put out etc. Who came up with the parking rules? One parking space per rental
or being upfront about the parking that is available should be sufficient.
68 T he idea behind regulating Airbnbs in Nelson is commendable in spirit. But we've

seen no tangible benefit from the increased regulations for any parties involved:
the city, property owners, renters, or visitors. Limiting supply only drives up
demand. Witness: housing costs are spiking. T he city is only making the situation
worse by distorting the market. Living in affordable rental housing in Nelson is
not a right; living here costs more than surrounding areas where people can
more easily afford housing, i.e. T rail, or even Ymir or Salmo. I would love to afford
to live in a fancy home on John's Walk, but I don't believe current homeowners
should be burdened in order to subsidize my aspiration to live in a desirable area.
72 T hanks for all your hard work on this!
77 T hank you for addressing the short term rental problem in Nelson. I would like to
see a strategy for addressing the long term rental problem in Nelson.
78 If there were no short term rentals my family (son, his wife and 3 young children)
could not visit me. I am alone, do not have room for them and would other wise
not get to see them at all. T hey live overseas, but try to visit me at least every 2
years. T his wouldn't happen if the only alternative was to stay in a hotel!!
47
ResponseID Response
81 Just what i mentioned earlier: I think different measures should be taken to solve
the long term rental shortages, like allowing us to build carriage houses. Loosen
all the regulations so that we can build so much housing that we saturate both
the short and long term rental markets.
82 No
87 T errible roll out. Council has got to go.
91 Parking is always a concern, both at the residence and around the town. Noise,
excessive drinking, vandalism and breakage are others.
93 People should provide off-street parking for themselves and their guests and
make sure on-street parking rules are followed by their guests (odd-even parking
and day/time limits).
94 Yes. Until the discussion is more focused on long term rentals, the City of Nelson
is still not addressing the actual issue of concern to tax paying locals. Aren't City
Council Members' mandate to serve the residents of the community? Aren't the
residents in need of housing more important to our community, than tourists
who can be accommodated by businesses like hotels who pay taxes? Why are all
this time, energy, and resources, being focused on helping the richer residents
with more property than they can inhabit or fill themselves, to make more money
in the short term instead of making a reasonable amount of extra money by
providing long term accommodation for local residents who contribute to the
functioning of their home town?
95 Absolutely NO Airbnb, NO short term rental of entire house or apartment should

ever been allowed, else than rooms in the summer for those renting rooms in
their own home in which they live full time. T here is shortage of long term rentals
for people living and working here. Some are homeless right now living in motel
or with friends. People over 45y old and people with kids!! . Many are moving out
of Nelson to relocate , some going to Eastern Canada as rent is cheaper there
even in bigger towns or cities. And on top because of this shortage, the price of
rent is outrageous high for the size and quality of rental apartments and homes. I
am 56y old and have to spend over 75% of my income for 1 bedroom apartment (
hydro and wifi NOT included,). People working on minimum wage have to share
even at my age.Or people with higher hour wages but who cannot work full time.
I cannot share so I have to use my income for shelter and food only, no money for
anything else , no money for dental, glasses, meds, etc. T his is a shame that their
are Airbnbs and houses and apartments for short term rental being allowed in
Nelson! T his town is losing its soul for money!
48
ResponseID Response
96 Short term rentals especially the ones under 450 sqft and the housing needs for
long term residence should be considered separate issues. For real long term
residence the price of houses are insane and a little airbnb rental income (that still
requires effort and work - it is not free money) helps people afford the cost.
97 Go back to th former system for the B&B in an owner occupied house.
98 I see the good intentions behind this permit process, and I even see the value of
the taxation/fees collected, but... Personally, the issue is "meeting the housing
needs of local long-term renters" - the City's objective #3. I think the question
that needs to be asked is: do we give priority to visitors or our residents? Our
residents had a hard time prior to the growth of ST R's but now, basically it's
horrendous vis a vis locals finding housing. ST R's have taken our housing
situation from difficult, to virtually impossible. It's not fair to our residents. And it's
not allowing a healthy community to exist. I'm not saying tourism isn't positive,
but this is killing us. After 25 years here, I am hearing of locals leaving town
because of this as well as the precious youth of local parents because the youth
can't find a place to live. I realize it would take great courage to change this
system, but I think that's what is necessary. T hanks for the hard work that you do.
101 vigilance is required towns and cities all over are becoming uninhabitable for low
and medium income people
102 Nelson needs tourism to survive. Many people use AirBnB because it makes it
more affordable to travel. T hat money they save gets spent in our local economy.
We cannot survive without outside money coming in. Anything to encourage
more visitors is a good thing.
103 Nelson is a tourist town and businesses should be helped to florish, not be
treated as constant criminals that need to be charged more money so you can
monitor them more. You are the town government, you build the housing we
need.
106 Well I would have picked both Very Dissatisfied: it should be less restrictive and
Very Dissatisfied: it should be more restrictive if I could... Read above to
understand... Less restrictive for guest rooms and more restrictive for guest
suites and homes....
49
ResponseID Response
107 T he City bylaws do not match with RDCK bylaws regarding ST Rs. T he rigidity of
the City's bylaws is pushing tourists away from the Nelson experience and is
going to contribute to parking issues in the downtown core. Now tourists are
having to stay further uphill or out of town and drive in to town to experience it.
Ultimately ST Rs will self-regulate based on supply and demand principles. I'm very
disappointed that my tax dollars are paying for these restrictions that are entirely
baseless under the guise of dealing with a long term rental issue.
108 Over-regulation needs to be carefully considered; home owners who reside in

their property should be able to use their space as best fits them--of course with
consideration of the neighbors and neighborhood. Over-charging for the annual
license and over-regulating will prevent those who would like to be occasional
operators of a ST R to help with costs...and those operators would not likely be
providing a long-term rental so there would be no "decrease" in available rental
housing.
50

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THE CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF NELSON

DATE: June 25, 2018 Committee of the Whole

Changes Proposed by Staff

Potential Changes for Consideration

BENEFITS, DISADVANTAGES AND NEGATIVE IMPACTS:

LEGISLATIVE IMPACTS, PRECEDENTS, POLICIES:

COSTS AND BUDGET IMPACT - REVENUE GENERATION:

IMPACT ON SUSTAINABILITY OBJECTIVES AND STAFF RESOURCES:

AUTHOR: REVIEWED BY:

But also: enforceable rules and maximising voluntary

Higher fees → Enforcement → Near-100% compliance

• Density cap: maximum of three per block

• Primary residency requirement (except for summer licences)

• Parking requirement: always at least one space

• Online map of all short-term rentals

Annual - Guest Home/Suite (entire dwelling) $800

Annual - One Guest Room $200

Summer - Guest Home/Suite $400

Summer - One Guest Room $110

Summer - Two Guest Rooms $150

31-day licence - Guest Home/Suite $160

Plus annual $30 fee to cover triennial inspection

$200 – additional staff time + overhead (application review,

$100 – building inspection (divided by three years)

$300 – compliance monitoring costs (Host Compliance +

• No plans to update at this time.

• Host Compliance identified 80% of STRs initially, City

• 20 warning letters. Most come into compliance

• One block has reached density cap

• 6 warning letters sent

• Once licensed, enforcement on other regulations is

“I'm wondering how you monitor the 'short

Anyone, who has a business in this town or has lived here

“We commend the City on establishing and enforcing

• They are fair and thoughtful

• As one of the original STR licencee's I support the City in

• The requirement for a building inspection prior to receiving a

• Hoteliers collect 2%, which is a much higher amount of money

• I am aware of people losing housing to short term rentals, there

• A lot is being done to protect tourists, but the tourists don't

• It amounts to certain business interests blackmailing the city into

• Stop issuing short term licenses so permanent residents can have

2. Remove deposit requirement

Net savings for applicant: $448 per year

Consider new type:

Four-Month Licence (Guest Home/Suite)

Consider criteria to delegate authority to staff

4. Applications made July. 1-on: prorate 70%

1 Guest Room 1 space

• “Parking is a problem. I live next door to an Airbnb and the

• Guests not knowing about winter parking rules

Staff recommend no change.

Report for 2018 Nelson Short-Term

Complet ion Rat e: 70 .4%

21 By definition, ST Rs directly affect the current shortage of long-term rentals.

To be issued a short-term rental licence in Nelson, in every case there must be

17% Other - Please explain

6% They should be lower.

T hese are the right parking requirements. 66.7% 12

T hey should be lower. 5.6% 1

Other - Please explain 16.7% 3

Other - Please explain Count