Saskatoon online rentals have become an industry
In July 2015, you might have been ridiculed if you had suggested Donald Trump would be president of the United States and Justin Trudeau would be prime minister of Canada.
The world has changed a lot since then, as has Saskatoon.
By the time city hall produces a report on how to canada goose cap uk regulate short term rentals such as Airbnb, a full four years will have passed since licensed bed and breakfast operators first raised concerns.
During that time, the canada goose outlet number of suites and even entire canada goose parka uk houses available for rent on platforms like Airbnb has ballooned from an canada goose outlet online uk estimated 90 in Saskatoon to more than 300 on Airbnb alone.
That compares to 10 licensed bed and breakfast operators remaining in the city.
Since 2015, Airbnb and others have turned from a concern into an industry. Airbnb announced Friday that people hosting visitors in accommodations offered on the site made $5 million in Saskatchewan in 2018.
The 800 hosts in the province made an average of about $4,000 a year. How much of that will be canada goose outlet shop claimed as earnings for income tax purposes is unclear.
Virtually none of the accommodations offered online are licensed and inspected the way traditional bed and breakfasts used canada goose outlet toronto store to be. Both Regina and Saskatoon lack rules on regulating this online industry.
So why should Saskatoon residents, for example, care about the effect of a canada goose store web based platform on bed canada goose black friday 2019 mens and breakfasts, a group so small it could be described as a boutique industry?
The bed and breakfast rules in Saskatoon emerged due to canada goose chilliwack black friday concern about the potential canada goose trousers uk impact on neighbourhoods of homes hosting short term visitors.
If neighbours rejected the idea of a bed and breakfast in their midst, it would fail to materialize. If only one neighbour within 100 metres objected no matter how ridiculous the objection it would trigger a town hall meeting.
Bill and Debbie Judt, who opened their bed and breakfast in College Park seven years ago, had to address the concerns of a neighbour who was worried guests might canada goose warranty uk rifle through neighbours garbage.
Bed and breakfast rules ensured sufficient off street parking for guests, set limits for maximum guest capacity and ensured stringent safety standards were followed.
Essentially, the rules ensured bed and breakfasts, which are only allowed in some neighbourhoods, did not disrupt the community. It gave property owners canada goose outlet winnipeg a say in what is allowed near their homes.
Online rentals blow up canada goose outlet that model. If someone wants to rent a house and allow 12 people, possibly with 12 vehicles, to stay there, that possible, though probably not typical.
City hall seems to regard online short term rentals as beyond current regulations, although the requirement for a business licence seems pretty clear.
Anyone engaging in commercial activity or providing a service in Saskatoon needs canada goose womens uk sale to get a business licence. It been long established that landlords renting property on a long term basis do not need a licence, but short term renters like hotels and bed and breakfasts need licences.
The City of Saskatoon says its review of short term accommodations was delayed because of preparations for legalized recreational marijuana and to accommodate ride sharing.
In theory, taking a long time could mean city hall is making sure it gets the rules right. Others might see it as waiting until a canada goose outlet mississauga tsunami hits to build a retaining wall.
Canadian https://www.baertakreation.de cities have struggled to cope with online rentals that skirt the rules. The Quebec government struck a deal with Airbnb to have hosts pay a lodging tax, but Montreal is still wrestling to control non compliant rentals.
Vancouver requires Airbnb listings to display a valid business licence. In Toronto, proposed restrictions are being challenged, but the rise in short term rentals is blamed for a long term rental shortage.
Saskatoon city hall conducted an online survey in the fall of 2017. Even if the overall review is taking years, why not release the findings of the survey?
Considering the city’s own polling shows does canada goose have a black friday sale skepticism about city hall’s efforts to consult canada goose black friday canada and to be transparent, this would seem a prudent move.