Prince George does not meet the criteria to opt out of the province’s Short-Term Rental Accommodation Act, but city council is unanimous in its opposition to the new legislation and intends to fight to keep the local short-term market for rooms, suites and rental houses intact.
“Frankly, for me this is another example of the provincial government stepping into our lane and worrying about our jurisdiction of governance while not fulfilling their responsibility in their area. We want to be responsible for these types of decisions in our community.” “It says the data was suppressed to protect confidentiality but we know that was not the case because in the previous year it reported it,” said Ramsay. “So we have to assume the data was suppressed because the data was not statistically reliable. The lack of data in the three-bedroom row house is what is pulling the entire vacancy rate down, in my opinion.
“This is not as a simple one-size-first-all, I do think we have to push back against the province,” said Ramsay. “That’s just a small portion of it,” said Skakun. “I really think the CMHC numbers are skewed. There’s a total lack of consultation with a lot of local governments and I think the province is going after the low-hanging fruit, these business folks who have created a niche in the market for working professionals coming to town.