Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (dba Greater Vancouver REALTORS®)
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Amendments to the Strata Property Act are made thoughtfully and with the long term in mind, with the objective of improving strata transparency. Require documents related to strata transactions be made available with the listing.
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Development of any legislative proposal by the government of British Columbia, a Provincial entity or a member of the Legislative Assembly, Development or enactment of any regulation, including the enactment of a regulation for the purposes of amending or repealing a regulation
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Housing, Insurance
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Ensure fairness for the Speculation and Vacancy Tax.
Increase the First-Time Home Buyers’ Program Property Transfer Tax exemption threshold
Expand the foreign buyers’ Property Transfer Tax exemption to all foreign residents with work permits.
Index the Property Transfer Tax thresholds
Ensure the Property Transfer Tax accurately reflects the dynamic nature of the real estate market.
Repeal the Provincial Sales Tax exmansion to professional services as introduced in Budget 2025
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Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy, directive or guideline of the government of British Columbia or a Provincial entity, Development or enactment of any regulation, including the enactment of a regulation for the purposes of amending or repealing a regulation, Development of any legislative proposal by the government of British Columbia, a Provincial entity or a member of the Legislative Assembly
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Housing, Taxation and Finance
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Implement policies to ensure that renters, first-time and move-up buyers have appropriate, affordable housing options.
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Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy, directive or guideline of the government of British Columbia or a Provincial entity, Introduction, amendment, passage or defeat of any Bill or resolution in or before the Legislative Assembly
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Housing
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Property ownership
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Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy, directive or guideline of the government of British Columbia or a Provincial entity
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Education
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Request the establishment of a Permanent Provincial Housing Roundtable to discuss proposed housing policies and monitor existing policies for effectiveness.
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Development of any legislative proposal by the government of British Columbia, a Provincial entity or a member of the Legislative Assembly, Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy, directive or guideline of the government of British Columbia or a Provincial entity, Development or enactment of any regulation, including the enactment of a regulation for the purposes of amending or repealing a regulation
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Housing
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Short-Term Rental Regulations
Concern regarding the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Act and its accompanying regulations. With the current geopolitical environment expected to drive up domestic tourism across the province, consider implementation of much-needed changes to short-term rental (STR) legislation. Our members are concerned about the adverse effects this legislation has had, and continues to have, on consumers and their local communities. In the wake of recent comments published in Business in Vancouver regarding the longevity of these regulations, we believe it would be highly advantageous for the government to amend the current STR regulation to mitigate the negative effects this legislation is having upon local communities and their economies.
Recommendations:
1. Return Zoning Autonomy to Local Governments - give municipalities back autonomy on STR zoning. Regulations should be amended to allow local governments to exempt properties by use type or in specifically zoned STR areas.
2. Expand the Strata Hotel and Fractional Ownership Exemption - expand the exemption from the principal residency requirement to include all strata hotels and fractional interest properties.
3. Geographic Exemptions for Areas in Close Proximity to Healthcare Centres - using recently passed transit-oriented development area legislation as a template, exempt short-term rentals in close proximity to healthcare centres and hospitals.
4. Establish Broad Television and Film Sector STR Exemptions - implement immediate broad STR exemptions for the television and film sector, to encourage sustained economic contributions from this sector for the BC economy into the
future, as well as to lessen demand upon the hotel sector.
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Development of any legislative proposal by the government of British Columbia, a Provincial entity or a member of the Legislative Assembly, Development or enactment of any regulation, including the enactment of a regulation for the purposes of amending or repealing a regulation, Development, establishment, amendment or termination of any program, policy, directive or guideline of the government of British Columbia or a Provincial entity
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Consumer Issues, Housing, Municipal Affairs
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