A group that lobbied Toronto to regulate short-term rentals now plans to launch its own “ethical” home-sharing platform with a grant from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC).
Fairbnb says its platform, which will initially focus on downtown Toronto, will use the same technology as Airbnb to support affordable housing in the city.
“No space that can be used for long-term housing will be converted to tourist rentals,” said Thorben Wieditz, spokesman for the coalition of housing advocates, community groups, academics and hotels.
Fairbnb has argued for years that short-term rentals undermine the city’s permanent housing stock, diverting housing into tourist accommodation. He supported the city by winning an appeal from short-term rental owners in a 2019 provincial court. The owners objected to the city’s short-term rental statute that makes it illegal to operate a short-term rental other than the owner’s primary residence.
Fairbnb’s shared housing platform is expected to be operational in March. It will be the North American entry for Europe-based Fairbnb Coop, a website urging travelers to “pack their values” and operating in cities such as Barcelona, Rome and Amsterdam.
“Fairbnb Coop is well established in Europe. It is a very slick operation, similar and as easy as Airbnb. But it is controlled, owned and managed cooperatively. A significant amount of the money stays in the community, ”Wieditz said.
Half of Fairbnb’s 14 percent booking fee will go to the Kensington Market Community Land Trust, a group that works to preserve affordable housing and commercial space in that neighborhood. The trust received $ 3 million from the city this year to renovate and operate about 12 affordable apartments on Kensington Avenue, where tenants feared renovations, where landlords force tenants out of the building under the guise of renovating a building so they can rent the units for more money.
“It is really exciting for us. There is a way for neighbors to rent their rooms, as has always been the case, but in a way that supports the community, ”said Trust Chairman Dominique Russell.
Kensington is a tourist destination and residents welcome visitors, said Serena Purdy of Friends of Kensington Market. But the short-term rental industry has displaced many collectives of artists, students and people in precarious circumstances, he said.
“It’s hard to build that kind of community fabric, that mutual respect and security when you can’t hold on to your neighbors and you can’t take care of each other,” Purdy said.
Weiditz said the Fairbnb Coop “is bringing back the notion of shared living that was lost in the growth of Airbnb.”
Both Airbnb and Fairbnb Coop charge a 14% guest booking fee. Airbnb also charges hosts 3 percent. Fairbnb doesn’t.
Wieditz says the new platform will ensure that all of its rentals meet the city’s requirement that hosts only rent rooms and houses that are their primary residence. That means no permanent housing stock will be lost to tourist rentals, he said.
Despite city statutes and licensing rules, Purdy said her former neighbors have not returned. Short-term owners are renting places for just over the 28-night limit the city allows for short-term rentals. People stay a few more days and move on, he said.
Fairbnb’s company is one of 16 to receive funding from CMHC’s Community Land Trusts (CLT) and Land Assembly solutions. Fairbnb received $ 132,710.
Airbnb said it welcomes Fairbnb’s entry into short-term rentals.
“We share the belief that short-term rentals have an important role to play here in Toronto, one that we have seen first-hand, as Airbnb accommodation has created vital economic opportunities for Canadians and diversified the tourism economy. local, “said a statement.
Reference-www.thestar.com