Break-ins at Vancouver condo tower blamed on short-term rentals

The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) is investigating at least three cases of break-ins in apartment buildings that are home to short-term rentals.

Police are searching for suspects who were caught on surveillance camera in one downtown Vancouver building.

Residents said multiple storage lockers and mailboxes were broken into and thousands of dollars worth of personal property was stolen.

They said there was no forced entry in any of the break-ins and believe the people responsible for the thefts had a key fob from a short-term rental.

WATCH: Condo owners could be on the hook for short-term rental thefts

2:05 Condo owners could be on the hook for short-term rental thefts

“It’s very concerning, it scares me,” resident Tiffany Vincent said.

“I’m about to have a baby and there are strangers running free in my building.”

The VPD said three downtown buildings have been hit in the last three weeks.

Const. Jason Doucette said they are not sure if the thefts are linked but “at this point short-term rentals seem to be the common theme.”

The city estimates there are more than 5,000 short-term rental listings in Vancouver alone.

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Many transactions on sites like Airbnb are completed without any face-to-face interactions, with owners often leaving keys in dropboxes at various businesses around the city.

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“When you have random people accessing your building and accessing your security, you have no way of controlling who is coming and going,” Tony Gioventu, executive director of the Condominium Homeowners Association of BC, said.

An Airbnb spokesperson told Global News they are investigating.

Vincent wants all short-term rentals banned from her building.

“People are getting in here and it’s not good and nobody is doing anything.”

— With files from Rumina Daya