Where I live vacation rentals (read, AirbNb) are the big emerging issue. A vacation rental is simply an un-licenced BnB as near as I can tell. But in these characterizing times we live in I guess there will always be a need to make a distinction so as to cast whoever you have your issue with as black sheep. Local governments have invested in Host-Compliance software that tracks advertising online so as to crack down and get tough (their words) on outlaw landlords.
From what I can gather the impetus for legalizing unlicensed Vacation Rentals is coming from BnB's that pay a business licence and see this as an issue of fairness. Other issues include changing the nature of residential neighbourhoods and displacing long-term renters. Fair enough, but what local Village councils are proposing goes much farther than simply licencing or enforcing something they let get out of control. What they're proposing is that the BC government change the entire province's tax code so that the residential properties that have vacation rentals and or bed and breakfasts can also be taxed as commercial properties. What they want to do is create a new dual residential/commercial zoning so they can tax some portion of the property at the commercial rate which I believe is twice the residential rate. To do so they will be proposing the BC government get onboard at the next meeting of the Union of BC Municipalities.
It appears the impetus for this is from big resort operators who feel it's unfair that they pay commercial tax rates while everyone else doesn't. I can't help but get the sense its like comparing a Mom and Pop corner store to Walmart. This aspect of the beef that much bigger corporations and our local politicians have with the little guy should be troubling to anyone that does any sort of home-based business - especially given that the route to making a home-based business a big political and economic issue is to simply complain and suggest government raise everyone's taxes. That’s just too easy and sleazy IMO. I guess this is where pointing out that black sheep aren’t white helps the cause - lets face it, arranging to have an extra cost imposed on your competition is probably the next best thing to putting money into your own pocket.
Apparently one of the goals of local governments is to encourage or preserve affordable housing through long-term rentals so perhaps they should propose a larger tax grant to residential tenancy property owners as compensation for giving up on the big accommodation bucks and instead provide a valuable social and economic need that many local governments appear to be utterly powerless if not useless at providing.
I'm trying to find a balance between social responsibility and capitalist swinery by providing both. Fortunately I'm in a regional district and not subject to village bylaws.