Municipal Regulation of Short-term Rentals in Alberta ...

• Main Author: Mian, Jasmine
• Format: Report
• Language: English
• Published: School of Public Policy 2020
• Subjects: Fort McMurray
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.11575/prism/39442; https://prism.ucalgary.ca/handle/1880/114200

From 2015 to 2018, revenue from short-term rentals in Alberta grew from around $8 million to $151 million (Canada 2019d). This increase in market activity has been facilitated by the popularity of platforms like Airbnb. As this marketplace grew, concerns mounted about the negative aspects of these transactions and policymakers have been called to regulate. In this capstone, the short-term rental regulations are examined for six Albertan municipalities: Banff, Calgary, Canmore, Edmonton, Fort McMurray and Jasper. These jurisdictions were chosen to provide a snapshot of regulatory approaches across the province and because they face unique challenges with respect to vacancy rates, tourism, geographic location and population. To simplify the analysis, the regulations are categorized by the issues they are targeted to resolve: Housing Prices and Supply, Neighbourhood Preservation, Competitive Fairness and Safety. It is important to note that despite this categorization, many of the regulations within categories ...