Doug LeMaire's blog

Turning short-term rentals into homes for people is at the core of newly introduced legislation to regulate the rapidly expanding short-term rental market.

“Anyone who’s looking for an affordable place to live knows how hard it is, and short-term rentals are making it even more challenging,” said Premier David Eby. “The number of short-term rentals in B.C. has ballooned in recent years, removing thousands of long-term homes from the market. That’s why we’re taking strong action to rein in profit-driven mini-hotel operators, create new enforcement tools and return homes to the people who...

The Province is introducing new housing legislation to deliver more small-scale, multi-unit housing for people, including townhomes, triplexes and laneway homes, and fix outdated zoning rules to help build more homes faster.

“Anyone looking for a place to live in a community they love knows how hard it is – and outdated zoning rules are making that even harder,” said Premier David Eby. “Constructing mostly high-rise condo towers or single-family homes means B.C. isn’t building enough small-scale multi-unit homes that fit into existing neighbourhoods and give people more housing options...

Selling a home can be a challenging and sometimes time-consuming process. In a competitive real estate market, it’s crucial to make your property stand out from the rest. One powerful tool that can greatly enhance your chances of a quick sale is home staging. Home staging involves setting up and arranging your home in a way that highlights its best features and appeals to potential buyers. In this blog post, we’ll explore some effective home staging tips and tricks that can help you sell your home faster and at a better price.

1. Clean and Declutter:

The first step in successful home...

B.C.'s Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act

The number of short-term rentals (which may include, for example, rentals listed on Airbnb, VRBO, Expedia and FlipKey) have expanded rapidly over recent years, in B.C. and around the world.

Data shows that short-term rentals are diverting thousands of long-term rentals onto the short-term market in B.C., taking away homes people need.

Like many jurisdictions around the world, B.C. is responding to this growing challenge by taking action to regulate short-term rentals and return homes back to the long-term rental market.

In addition to...

On May 11, 2023, B.C. made changes to the Strata Property Act to make it easier for strata corporations and owners to install electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure in strata properties.

• Some changes came into effect on May 11, 2023, including allowing a strata corporation to approve some EV charging decisions by majority vote instead of by a ¾ vote.
• Other changes will be brought into force at a later date by regulation. These regulations will specify criteria and requirements relating to electrical planning reports and requests for and/or approval of installation of EV...

Effective November 24, 2022, strata corporations in B.C. may only have an age-restriction bylaw for an age that is not less than 55 years with exemptions for some caregivers and residents previously residing. Effective May 1, 2023, additional exemptions have been made for children (including adult children), and younger spouses or partners as per OIC 276-2023. Please learn more in strata age-restriction...

Effective November 1, 2023, when approving budgets at the annual general meeting, strata corporations and sections will be legally required to contribute a minimum of 10% of the annual operating fund to the contingency reserve fund (CRF). The amount that owner developers must contribute to the contingency reserve fund for new strata developments has also increased. (The Order-in-Council 0032-2023 was deposited January 24,...

Effective November 24, 2022, a strata corporation (or section) may only have a strata bylaw which limits the age of an owner, tenant or occupant to age 55+.

• Any strata bylaw that sets a minimum age less than 55 years old is invalid.
• Strata bylaws which restricts ages to a minimum of 55+ are valid. 

The age-restriction bylaw applies to a resident of a strata lot (i.e. an owner, tenant or occupant). Strata corporations and sections are allowed to have age-restriction bylaws that require a person residing in the strata lot to have reached an age that is not less than 55 years....