Province to bump fees for short-term rental owners

Registration fees for Airbnbs are going up.

The province says too many people can’t find a place to live, and this will help free up more long-term housing.

Housing Minister John Lohr says this will be a disincentive for some short-term rental owners.

“We recognize that it won’t be many, but I will say that every unit counts. It will certainly be some. This will give us an idea of the amount of short-term rental units in the province,” said Lohr.

The fees will be based the size of the community the units are located in.

Fees for a unit that isn’t someone’s primary residence will range from $240 in rural areas to $3,600 in the HRM.

The new regulations will be introduced next week in the legislature.