A North Vancouver woman who has repeatedly been told to shut down her illegal hostel has had her discrimination claim dismissed.
In a ruling issued June 26, the BC Human Rights Tribunal dismissed Emily Yu’s complaint that her townhouse strata was discriminating against her on the basis of her disability, saying the issue had already been heard by the B.C. Supreme Court and the Civil Resolution Tribunal.
Yu had been renting out her unit as a hostel, dubbed Oasis Hostel, on Airbnb and other websites, along with running a petsitting business.
Online ads describe the hostel as having 14 rooms, marble bathrooms and rain showerheads.
The Civil Resolution Tribunal had upheld the City of North Vancouver’s decision to fine Yu $200 per week for continuing to rent out her unit on Airbnb, against its bylaws.
It also ruled that Yu’s strata could fine her $100 a week for running a pet-sitting business out of her unit. The strata had already granted her an exception to the number of pets allowed in her home because of her disability, the tribunal said, allowing her to keep two dogs instead of one, but it was not medically necessary for her to run such a business.
She appealed, arguing she needed the Airbnb money because she was disabled. The B.C. Supreme Court found there was not enough evidence that her disability required such a rental.
Last month, the human rights tribunal said Yu should appeal directly to the Supreme Court, saying “she cannot come to this tribunal seeking a different result on the same issue.”
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