The vacancy rate in Toronto has been estimated as low 1.1 percent, but the province has approved regulations intended to restore units that have been taken off the long-term rental market by short-term rental platforms like Airbnb.
"An Ontario tribunal has upheld Toronto regulations on short-term rentals that will restrict the most prolific hosts on Airbnb and other home-sharing services," reports Shane Dingman.
"The new rules apply to homeowners and tenants who want to offer rooms and homes for short-term rental on such services as Airbnb or VRBO. The regulations restrict short-term rentals to a homeowner’s principal residence, and then only to a maximum of 180 days a year."
Ontario's Local Planning Appeal Tribunal (LPAT) had the power to determine whether the zoning regulations approved by Toronto to curtail "ghost hotel" operators were planned in good faith. According to Dingman, lawyers for the commercial operators subject to the regulations plan to appeal the LPAT's decision.
"There are about 21,000 short-term listings in the city, but local activists and researchers have argued that as many as 5,000 homes in Toronto have been permanently converted to short-stay accommodations," explains Dingman of the scope of short-term rental operations in the city.
FULL STORY: Ontario tribunal upholds Toronto’s new rules to limit Airbnb, other short term rentals
How Short-Term Rental Restrictions Impact Urban Planning
Short-term rental regulations are a hot topic in the urban planning world. As more cities consider—or are already implementing—these regulations, they need to understand how they impact various urban landscape areas.
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Where other cities have found common ground with Airbnb and the short-term rental industry, Denver's negotiations toward regulations have continued since 2018 with little to show for the effort.
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Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
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California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
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Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
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