Dear Editor,
Re: “Richmond targets B&Bs while many short term rentals roam free,” News, Oct. 13
I followed the proceedings regarding short term rentals closely. I attended council meetings, read documents, wrote to councillors etc. It seems to me residents were most upset about illegal rentals: AirBnBs and hotels that were causing excess traffic, noise and nuisances in neighbourhoods. It was a good day when new bylaws were enacted in reaction to public input.
It is now extremely disappointing to hear that city staff are targeting legal B&B operators. These are people who live in and contribute to the community. They are the people that follow the rules. They have been licensed for years. They now live with the stress of possibly having those licenses taken away for minor zoning violations.
It’s my opinion that these people are not the problem that needs to be dealt with. One needs to only peruse the dozens of postings on online booking sites to see that the illegal operations are not being shut down. Why are the new bylaw officers and licensing staff not cracking down on those operators?
I ask city staff to please provide the public with some numbers as to how many illegal lodgings have been shut down or even fined since the new regulations came into effect. The public deserves to know whether the new rules are working to their intended effect.
Laura Heroux
Richmond
