Calgarians are being asked to take part in an online survey to help shape city regulations surrounding short-term rentals.
Phase 2 of the city’s online survey launched on Monday. The survey will help inform the city’s short-term rental study, which is examining market characteristics, public perceptions, operational challenges and the impact short-term rentals have on the housing market, according to the City of Calgary.
Short-term rentals are homes or parts of homes that are rented for up to 30 consecutive days, typically through sites like Airbnb or VRBO.
“Feedback from Calgarians enhances our understanding of challenges and opportunities in Calgary’s short-term rental market,” said Antonio Faiola, manager of business experience with the City of Calgary.
“We will incorporate the input we hear from Calgarians and present recommendations to council in December.”
The city’s short-term rental study is a collaboration with the University of Calgary. The findings of the two-year study will be used to implement regulations when it comes to short-term rentals in Calgary.
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“It’s important we engage Calgarians as we continue to evolve our regulations to align with the city’s priorities related to housing, economic development, downtown revitalization, hospitality and tourism,” Faiola said.
The city said the market for short-term rentals has grown considerably since 2017, due in part to platforms like Airbnb and VRBO.
As of September 2023, there were about 5,000 short-term rental listings in Calgary, the majority of which is concentrated in the city centre. This represents about one per cent of the approximately 540,000 residential properties in Calgary, according to the city.
Regulations for short-term rentals have been in place in Calgary since 2020 and updates to the policies came into effect in January 2024. The updated rules now require all prospective operators to provide the following items with their licence applications:
- fire safety plan and inspection
- proof of ownership (or owner consent if a renter)
- condo board consent (if applicable)
- proof of liability insurance coverage
Phase 1 of the study, which also included an online survey for the public, ran in October 2023. The city said feedback from phase 1 of the study showed short-term rentals in Calgary serve a need that is not limited to tourism. Short-term rentals are used for people coming to the city for medical purposes, Calgarians transitioning between homes, new Calgarians, and transitory workers, according to the city.
A report to council on the study is expected in December.
Phase 2 of the online survey runs until Sept. 30. People can fill out the survey on the City of Calgary’s website, calgary.ca.
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