Talk about drastic measures.
The strata council for 15 West, a condo building at 150 West 15th Street in North Vancouver, has posted notices at every entrance to the property warning Airbnb renters that they’ll be charged with trespassing.
Coverage of Airbnb on Globalnews.ca/bc:
It’s a tactic that has residents wondering whether the council has gone a touch too far.
“It’s not really their fault,” resident Michael Kidd said of Airbnb renters. “It’s the fault of the people who are renting them out when they knew that they shouldn’t.”
“I think trespassing is taking it a little too far,” said Sierra Garrison, another resident. “But I understand where they are coming from.”
READ MORE: Speakers pack Vancouver city council hearing on short-term rentals
There’s some question over how serious this threat really is.
It’s more likely a warning, said Tony Gioventu, executive director of the Condominium Home Owners’ Association of B.C.
“It’s more of informing the… potential user of the property of what’s happening,” he said.
“It’s highly questionable whether this bylaw can even be enforced.”
Asked twice about the threat of a trespassing charge, Airbnb sent a statement saying that, “When hosts sign up on Airbnb, they must certify that they will comply with local rules before they list their space.”
Gioventu recommended that rental platforms such as Airbnb just “refuse to take listings for those buildings,” instead of having stratas devise new ways to keep the short-term renters away.
“If they continue to take listings for those buildings, they’re contributing to the problem as much as anybody,” he said.
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