By Sebastian Kanally, Times Chronicle
The Regional District of the Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) is hard at work trying to workshop how to implement business licences for short-term rentals in the South Okanagan.
The RDOS had their first business licensing workshop on May 9, which revealed how complicated and diverse the task could be for the region. Each area within the region will choose whether to implement the licences or not and how they are tailored to their area.
Chief administrative officer Jim Zaffino explained to the RDOS board that these business licences are new to regional districts. In 2023, the provincial short-term rental framework was changed to provide regional districts the authority to regulate short-term rentals and other businesses in the same way as municipalities.
Each of the nine areas within the RDOS will have the task of deciding whether they would like to implement these business licences within their area, what they would look like, what business licence fee they would like to charge, and what kinds of restrictions they would want to put in the bylaw.
Throughout a lengthy discussion the RDOS area directors were trying to understand what shape this would take and offered multiple perspectives on the topic from supporting business licences for all businesses, to supporting business licences for only short-term rentals, to not supporting business licences at all and sticking with the current permitting process.
For example, Director Martin Van Alphen, director of the District of Summerland, commented, “I believe everyone should have a business licence, it gives bylaw teeth.”
Director Bob Coyne of Area “H” Rural Princeton, explained that he is not in favour of business licences, but “we have to for short term rentals, I’m okay with that.”
Zaffino explained that implementing business licences is primarily to force the businesses to pay their own way when it comes to dealing with community complaints and recouping the costs of bylaw, building inspections etc.
“If you are fine with the general taxpayer paying for the complaints then it’s fine. If you want the short-term rentals to pay their own way, then business licences are required . . . It’s your choice, if you dont want buisness licences, that’s your call.”
Zaffino further explained that if the RDOS receives a complaint about a specific short-term rental then they have to go out to the property and address and possibly remedy the issue. Since the RDOS is a large area this could be two hours of driving to and from certain locations in the region. Charging the business licensing fee recoups some of these costs and therefore does not unfairly burden the general taxpayer.
Creating a business licence bylaw in opposition to continuing with the current Temporary Use Permit (TUP) process would be quicker. It was noted in the meeting that currently a TUP takes around six to eight weeks to be approved from the time the RDOS receives a completed application.
A business licence could be cut down to two or three weeks. Regional districts also have the power to regulate but not prohibit licences once the law is in place so granting licences will be subject to less variability. Zaffino noted because of this the bylaw has to be worded carefully because “when someone comes in for a business licence, unless it’s in the bylaw we have to give it to them,” he explained.
This makes the decision to give licences less subject to community members’ opinions, and the RDOS board discussion when the application comes to the table. Unless it is specifically addressed in the bylaw, the licence will have to be granted.
The board decided that it was still too early and too much to go through to decide on each area’s position and how that would look. This recent business licensing workshop took place after the board decided to table a planned Vacation Rental Review last meeting. The board decided that it would be better to discuss the business licences before agreeing on what a review would look like.
But some directors in the business licence workshop commented they could not make a decision on the licences until the vacation rental review took place.
There will be another workshop scheduled for directors to iron out their questions and positions on the business licensing when it comes to their areas, and a Vacation Rental Review is still in the cards.
