Email from Mary re: VR STRs attention on Cfax radio today
Correspondence warning Council about potential legal liabilities and provincial fines resulting from the proposed short-term rental amnesty plan.
From: Mary
Sent: February 4, 2026 12:38 PM
To: Mayor And Council Email mayorandcouncil@viewroyal.ca
Subject: Re: VR STRs attention on Cfax radio today
View Royal,
Your stance on STRs seems to have taken a radical turn from the past regulations, and could create much hardship for current and potential non-BC-registered hosts.
This VR council planned FIFA period STR leniency will be also be felt by the community as a signal VR will go easy on reported STR bylaw offenders—not just for now—but for months and years to come as well, setting up potential ongoing trouble for those hosts that who will likely get picked off one-by-one, by the BC STR Compliance and Enforcement Unit (CEU).
The casual attitude of Don Brown on radio today around STRs is misleading to all BC/VR unregistered hosts, both in June/July of ‘26 and to those hosts who will continue on later to rent through unregulated platforms like Facebook’s “STR on Vancouver Island”—there are dozens of these sites around, and they are well used by guests looking for something affordable for their time in Victoria.
Many of these unsuspecting VR hosts have no idea of the potential provincial fines that can and may well be imposed on them by an angry BC provincial government—3K per room per day—! This could create a lot of hardship for individuals and big liabilities for View Royal as well from hosts suing to have BC fines covered by the town.
A compromise for VR perhaps would be to take applications at View Royal town-hall from interested hosts for June/July, and do some inspections, and then issue them a (?temporary) VR business number that they can use on their BC STR application for this summer.
The current situation will only put a huge spotlight for provincial fines on anyone in View Royal currently, or soon to be, renting their spaces illegally, through non-registered platforms like FB.
This new View Royal policy is a tempest in a teapot, as it is.
We understand good intentions, but we do not want to see a “fist fight” with Mr. Eby over this, either. The difficulties out-weigh the benefits for both residents and the township.
Thanks for your attentions to either making this work through discussions with the province, or to perhaps reversing a well-intended plan.
Sincerely, Mary