Regina city council voted in favour of Airbnb licensing regulations that will come into effect next year.

The future of Toronto's short-term rental sector is in question as a sharp drop in guests linked to the COVID-19 pandemic pushes some owners into the long-term market.

The report said a number of factors could explain the lower vacancy rate including more jobs added in Saskatoon and stricter mortgage qualification rules.

The report stated there are more than 600 active short-term accommodations in the city with only around 15 of them licensed under the current bylaws.

A woman who rented a San Francisco Bay Area home where five people were killed in a Halloween party shooting lied to the owner, saying she only wanted to keep family members away from the smoke of a wildfire, according to police and a person with knowledge of the transaction.

The average length of stay was three nights, with the most visitors coming from the U.S., Canada, the UK, Germany and Australia.

“It’s lucrative and it’s often tax-free and it’s an unregulated sector."

The new bylaw forbids non-principal residences to be listed on Airbnb. Residents also face a $1,000 daily fine if they fail to display their business licence.

Vancouver City Council has approved an annual licence fee to help regulate short-term rentals like Airbnb.

The new rules would require hosts to have a license, and limit rentals to people's principal residences.