Safe, quality, affordable, rental homes for all

Advocates call on the Edmonton City Council: take action on short term rentals, protect renters.

Media Availability: Friday, September 22nd 11:00AM - City Hall Councillors Offices (2nd Floor)

Media:

https://edmonton.citynews.ca/2023/09/22/edmonton-short-term-rentals/ (City News Edmonton)

"As the housing crisis worsens, across Canada, advocates warn that renters are being left out of the conversation, and now more than ever require enhanced protections. Our first priority as Municipalities must be to help keep rental housing affordable". - Michael Janz

Advocates and community members will be available to call for action to protect renters and improve housing availability in Edmonton and across Alberta.

Speakers include:

Michael Janz, City Councillor Ward papastew
Jacob Holloway (Student Legal Services Legal Education and Reform Coordinator & Report Author (attached)
Devon Beggs (Ward papastew resident, neighbour to a disruptive AirBnB)
Jakob Cardinal (Vice-President External, Chair, Edmonton Student Alliance)
Brad Lafortune, Executive Director, Public Interest Alberta

Background on Short term rentals

https://www.michaeljanz.ca/homesnothotels

Following new McGill research showing conclusively that short-term rentals dramatically harm affordability, I intend to introduce a motion to address two gaps in our Business Bylaw related to short term rentals:

"That City Council move to amend the Bylaw 2002 (Section 60) residential short-term rental to add:

(f) not to exceed 90 days a year

(g) to require the owner to remain on the premises for the duration

Background on the Landlord Registry (See attached)

Student Legal Services conducted a research project on renter protections and Jacob Holloway will share a summary (attached is the summary and the full report).

By requiring landlords to register in such a program, municipalities can then use that data to create a publicly accessible database outlining whether minimum health and safety standards are being met and providing tenants with additional resources in the event that those standards are not being met.

Further:

https://www.michaeljanz.ca/renters

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