VRBO parent hoping for short-term rental regulations that work
Posted November 6, 2016 8:27 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The debate over what to do about AirBNB rages on in BC, but there’s one company which has offered the same service for over 25 years without ruffling any feathers.
The company has been watching the City of Vancouver’s move to regulate short-term rentals closely.
HomeAway is the parent company of Vacation Rental by Owner or VRBO.
Users post their homes on the site to rent out for short periods of time, just like they do on AirBNB, meaning their services would be targeted by any regulations brought in by Vancouver.
Matt Curtis with HomeAway isn’t against regulations, he’s hoping for regulations which actually work.
“Can we create some regulations that are fair that allow the activity without driving that activity underground?” asks Curtis.
“That activity has been around for a long time, people have used it for a long time, they are used to it and so they like it and they’re looking for it.”
Curtis says their clientele aren’t usually the types to attract attention and complaints. They’re more often traveling families.
“In some cases, you even have people who are local who just need to rent a home for a short period of time, like in the cases of divorce or remodeling their home or a fire. When they’re looking for a house, they want that home to be theirs.”
Not all short-term rentals happen through Air BNB, an American company behind several popular services worries Vancouver’s new bylaws might create a black market instead.
