The AHLA, on behalf of our membership, provided a submission to Edmonton City Council in support of Councillor Michael Janz' motion to amend Bylaw 2002 (Section 60) regarding residential short-term rentals. The motion aims to impose stricter regulations to address the housing crisis and create a level playing field for accommodation providers. We have been pushing for stronger regulations around short-term rentals for over a decade and welcome the support of Councillor Janz on this file. The original concept of home sharing promoted by online platforms has been distorted by real estate investors who have taken single family houses and condominiums out of long-term housing inventory, using them instead for commercial operations. The rise in popularity of the short-term rental industry has contributed to:
In 2017, The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC), with the support of the AHLA, commissioned a study by CBRE on Airbnb and the hotel sector in Canada, highlighting the issues short-term rentals present to our industry and our communities. A 2023 study by McGill University found similar issues in the British Columbia market. Major cities across Canada have enacted legislation that protects the rights of citizens and creates a level playing field for providers of short-term accommodation—it's time for us to do the same in Alberta. The AHLA believes that those who operate accommodation businesses—whether it is a hotel, motel, inn, apartment, or short-term rental—should be subject to the same corporate taxes and regulations. We recommend that the City of Edmonton implement the following requirements for short term rentals: