B.C. is exempting Kelowna from short-term rental restrictions beginning on June 1.
Additionally, the province is altering all future timelines for rule exemptions to accommodate the busy summer tourist season.
“Accelerating these timelines will assist communities like Kelowna that have brought vacancy rates to healthy levels through their hard work on housing to make the most of the summer tourism season,” Housing and Municipal Affairs Minister Christine Boyle said in a Friday (April 17) news release.
B.C.’s short-term rental restrictions were introduced in 2023 and took full effect in 2025. These rules were created to ease an extremely tight rental housing market in many of the province’s communities, and restrict short-term renting to an owner’s principal residence or a secondary suite on the principal residence property.
Communities can request an exemption once vacancy rates reach and stay at three per cent for two consecutive years. The request must be submitted by March 31 each year to go into effect on Nov. 1.
Kelowna was the only community this year to request the exemption, and it asked to move up the effective date to June 1 to accommodate the city’s busy tourist season.
The province agreed and decided to bump up application and effective dates for all communities starting next year. The new submission deadline will be Feb. 28, with exemptions taking effect on June 1.
Boyle applauded the work Kelowna has done to bring down its vacancy rate on Thursday, the day before the changes were announced.
“Kelowna has had a very healthy vacancy rate because of the good work that they’ve been doing on housing, and so that allows us to have a conversation about next steps,” she said.
Kelowna mayor Tom Dyas said in a news release that the city has been working hard to increase the local vacancy rate, which is now 6.3 per cent, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
“With a number of major events ahead this summer, Kelowna is ready to welcome visitors and support our local economy, while maintaining a balanced approach that respects our neighbourhoods and protects housing supply,” Dyas said.