Summerland council will consider a bylaw to regulate private short-term vacation rentals this fall.
Graham Statt, chief administrative officer for Summerland, said there are an estimated 250 private vacation rental units in the community, but there are no bylaws regulating them.
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In some instances, complete homes or townhomes are being rented to visitors, but in other cases, a carriage home or a portion of a house is available for rental.
“These accommodations provide an opportunity to supplement hotels and motels,” Statt said.
He added that some of the owners of these units have asked the municipality to consider regulations to the units.
The details of the bylaw are yet to be determined, Statt said.
At present, Summerland has no policy or regulations in place governing private short-term vacation rentals. Other communities in the Okanagan Valley have had regulations in place for some time.
Penticton began addressing these rentals as early as 2011. Kelowna added regulations around 2017.
In addition, individual strata corporations may have their own regulations, limiting or prohibiting short-term vacation rentals on their premises.
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