Light a candle for the hundreds of Halifax renters who had to move in the last few years because their rent increased by 10 or 15 or 22 or 33 or 45 percent when it came time for lease renewal. The increase notice, delivered in writing, at least four months before the renewal date, fell […]
Airbnb
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Halifax to rally for rent control this weekend
The rent at Aidan Tompkins’ three-bedroom apartment on Almon Street went up by 29 percent in 2019. He and his roommates were paying $1,345 for the three-bedroom unit before the notice from his landlord came four months before lease renewal. “It hit us pretty hard. We had to reassess our budget, had to cut a […]
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Airbnb regulation in Nova Scotia leaves any strict rules up to municipalities
This month the province of Nova Scotia released the Tourist Accommodations Registration Act—which will require anyone operating a short-term rental that isn’t their primary residence—to register with the province and pay a petite fee. The point of the regulations, says minster of business Geoff MacLellan, was to “level the playing field” for the tourism industry. […]
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Yes, it did get harder to find an apartment in Halifax last year
The vacancy rate in Halifax has fallen to a measly one percent, lower than most cities across the country. According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) the vacancy rate dropped to one percent in 2019—meaning that, on average, only one percent of rental units were available at any given time. Availability of two-bedroom […]
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Airbnb listings seeing increased revenue, more “Superhosts”
Q New Airbnb statistics show a big increase in multiple-listing hosts in Halifax Regional Municipality since last year. According to the data, entire-home listings continue to see the most bookings, and hosts who manage multiple units make half of all the revenue generated by the short-term accommodation site during the height of the summer season. […]
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7 things to know about Turo car-sharing service’s arrival in Nova Scotia
Turo is a big deal in the sharing economy, serving as the Airbnb of car rentals for about 10 million people around the world. But you can be forgiven if you’ve never heard of it, because Turo hasn’t been available in Nova Scotia—until today. To drive attention for the local launch, Turo Canada’s managing director, […]
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Short-term rental rules to change in favour of Airbnb listers
N ew legislation introduced last week will repeal the Tourist Accommodations Act and create an online registry for short-term rentals like Airbnb, but the new rules could instead open opportunities for enterprising hosts with a mind to avoid taxes. David de Jongh, former Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia member and owner of Seawind Landing […]
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Tourism association pulled out of Airbnb working group after two meetings
A working group report on the regulation of online accommodation sharing websites like Airbnb and VRBO has input from just about every relevant stakeholder—except the tourism industry. The only representatives from the Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia at the table pulled out of the working group after two meetings. The provincial tourism department formed […]
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Hotel and property managers don’t trust Airbnb
Airbnb’s refusal to share data on the number of multi-unit hosts who use its platform is a concern for traditional accommodation industries. Last year, the Hotel Association of Canada commissioned CBRE to complete a nationwide report measuring the impact of Airbnb accommodation-sharing on the hotel and housing markets. Across Canada, the report showed 83 per- […]
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New data suggests Airbnb’s impact on Halifax’s rental climate
Airbnb likes to position its hosts as everyday people offering up their homes for a little cash when they take a vacation or leave on a work trip. But new data assembled for The Coast shows the exact opposite. Over half of the Airbnb listings in the urban core seemingly belong to property owners with […]