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B.C.’s short-term rental industry braces for shrinkage as new rules loom

CEO of rental management firm says she plans to shutter May 1 due to coming restrictions
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A sign indicating Airbnb rentals are not permitted is seen at the entrance to a condo tower, in Vancouver, on Thursday, November 23, 2023. The provincial government last month introduced legislation to limit short-term rentals in many cities in British Columbia in an effort to put thousands of units back into the long-term rental pool, with the changes coming into effect in May. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Nancy Paine’s short-term rental business is dead in the water.

As co-founder and CEO of Victoria-based SpaceHost, Paine said she had been at the forefront of the Airbnb revolution for seven years, acting as a “liaison” for homeowners needing help with the logistics of running a listing on the accommodation site.

At the peak of business, her staff managed 65 properties, welcoming thousands of guests from around the world to what Condé Nast Traveller magazine recently rated as the “best city in the world.

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