Fun Vancouver pastime: reporting illegal Airbnbs in my neighbourhood, pushing for that affordable rental stock to head back to the local market where it’s needed most. Want to help your own community? It’s surprisingly easy to spot them 👀
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1/5 Spot illegal Airbnbs near you: open Airbnb's map view, filter 'Entire home,' and pick dates a few months out to see what's listed. In Vancouver, a basement suite or laneway home can only be rented short-term if the host lives IN it. Report to 311.
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2/5 Red flags: hosts who say they 'live upstairs' (then the suite isn't their home), a family of 4 renting out a 1-bedroom, empty closets, tons of reviews in a few months, or a profile with multiple 'Entire place' listings. One host, one licence, one home.
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3/5 Check the licence number. A 25- prefix may mean it wasn't renewed for 2026; 'AL…' or 'Exempt' is worth flagging. Bedroom with no window in a basement? Mention it in your 311 report as a possible safety/egress issue as ‘private property concern’ instead of STR for inspection.
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4/5 Skip rooms with no kitchen in a house where the host lives. That's renting part of their own home, and it's allowed. More importantly, it isn't housing stock that could go back to long-term renters. Focus on self-contained suites and laneways that could.

Sep 25, 2026 · 10:26 PM UTC

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5/5 Report through 311 or the VanConnect app under short-term rentals. You don't need the address anymore. Just include the listing link and licence number so the City can track it down, and stick to facts from the listing.
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