Tag Archives: airbnb

Airbnb stops offering cash refunds for COVID-19 cancellations as platform cuts costs to survive pandemic

Airbnb is no longer offering full cash refunds for guests who have had to cancel their stay due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, as the short term rental platform takes drastic measures to survive travel slowdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Airbnb asks government to bail out hosts in Canada

Airbnb spent the last decade ruthlessly going after all levels of government to remove or water down housing rules that stand in the way of long term rental units being turned into irregular hotels. Airbnb hosts labelled government attempts to

COVID-19: Airbnb hosts selling properties as bookings vanish

Vancouver couple Sarah Gebauer and Yannick Jovan Simovic made good money short-term renting their basement suite and laneway house on Airbnb. But the couple’s property at 615 W 23rd Avenue is now on sale for $2.7 million as many short

Vancouver Airbnb hosts caught using fake licences

By Lisa Tanh Several local Airbnb hosts have been caught abusing the City of Vancouver’s new short-term rental bylaws. Concerned citizens took to Twitter to expose a number of hosts who are using one short-term rental business licence for multiple

Vancouver homeseller boasts of making $92,500 from Airbnb last year

By ThinkPol Staff A Vancouver home where the seller boasted of making $92,500 from Airbnb last year has sold for the asking price. “Owner on main, top and bottom run as AIRBNB $92,500 in 2017. Can be purchased with AIRBNB

Housing activist educating Vancouverites on Airbnb bylaws and how to report violators

By Lisa Tanh Many Vancouverites are still unaware of the City of Vancouver’s new short-term rental bylaws and how to properly report violations, says a local housing activist. Ulrike Rodrigues, an East Vancouver resident, said she’s been receiving several messages

Vancouver Airbnb bylaw loophole threatens rental stock

By Lisa Tanh A loophole in the City of Vancouver’s new short-term rental bylaw could wipe out a big chunk of the city’s secondary suite stock, according to a complaint by a concerned citizen. Ethan, a born and raised Vancouverite,

City of Surrey ignoring illegal Airbnb complaints

By Lisa Tanh The City of Surrey isn’t enforcing bylaws against illegal Airbnbs while not publicly announcing that such short-term rentals are unlawful despite years of complaints. Bruce, a Surrey resident who asked to not use his legal name for

Vancouver father battles Airbnb, questions city’s plan to pour $46 million into building affordable housing while doing little to crack down on short term rentals

By Drew Penner Brette Mullins is a father who’s had to look at switching jobs in order to provide better housing for his family. And then there are the menacing attacks. “I get threatening emails once and awhile,” he said,

Vancouver police not keen to crack down on Airbnb pop-up brothels

By Drew Penner For those of us raised on school films that took us through skid row, and fictional mayor Dominic Da Vinci’s introduction of a red-light district on CBC, we realize Vancouver’s a city with unique problems requiring innovative