A notice banning Airbnb rentals is posted at the entrance of a condominium building in Vancouver (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)
Thousands of Airbnb reservations across British Columbia are now hanging by a thread, as the short-term rental platform warns of widespread cancellations. Airbnb blames the provincial government's fast-tracked policy rollout, calling the new rules untested and confusing—especially for hosts preparing for the busy summer travel season.
Alex Howell, who leads Airbnb’s policy team in Canada, expressed concern about the speed and execution of the province’s new registration rules. These regulations, meant to address B.C.'s housing shortage, require all short-term rental listings to be legally registered with the government. However, Howell says the system hasn’t been properly tested, and it’s already causing trouble for many hosts and travellers.
"Normally, we'd work closely with a government for months to test a new system before launch," Howell explained. "But in this case, B.C. rushed out the rules without ensuring everything actually works."
Hosts trying to comply are hitting a wall—technical glitches, formatting issues, and minor typing errors are locking them out of the registration system. Despite having legally eligible properties, many find themselves unable to register. As a result, Airbnb has had to cancel some confirmed bookings already.
The province's new rules allow only principal residences, basement suites, or laneway homes to be rented short-term. The aim is to free up long-term housing by clamping down on vacation rentals. But with the summer season approaching fast, the timing has left both hosts and travellers in limbo.
"Thousands of travellers could see their bookings cancelled. And over half of them are Canadian tourists trying to support local travel within their own country," Howell said.
Airbnb isn’t waiting until the government's June 23 deadline—when unregistered listings will be removed—to act. Instead, the company is proactively contacting users to offer free cancellations and updates, hoping to spare guests the surprise of last-minute changes.
"We think it's careless to wait until June 23 to notify guests," Howell said. "We’re informing them early so they can make other plans."
In response, Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon said the province believes Airbnb can sort out its issues before the deadline. He urged the company to focus on helping hosts register rather than scrapping reservations.
"This is a new step for B.C., and we’re working hard to help hosts meet the new standards," Kahlon added. He also pointed out that other rental platforms have managed to comply without major issues.
However, the policy has drawn political fire. B.C.’s Conservative opposition criticized the government for discouraging local tourism. MLA Rosalyn Bird asked, "How can you push staycations and then limit the very rentals that make them possible in small towns?"
As the June 23 deadline looms, travellers and hosts across the province are bracing for more uncertainty—while the debate over housing and tourism continues to heat up.
