The Regional District of East Kootenay’s (RDEK) short-term rental temporary use permit intake period will not be impacted by the provincial government’s regulations.
RDEK officials said its application period opened on Oct 1.
“We know there are many questions about the new permit requirement and the specifics of how to apply, and with the announcement by the Province on new short-term rental legislation, many people may be wondering if this will affect our permit requirement,” said RDEK Planner Justin Cook.
“While the pending provincial legislation offers new regulatory and enforcement opportunities for local governments, further review is needed to determine how the RDEK can best utilize the proposed tools,” said Cook. “Ensuring that short-term rental uses conform to zoning regulations remains a top priority, and the new short-term rental temporary use permit process is not impacted at this time.”
Anyone wanting to apply for a permit must first confirm how their property is zoned.
“They can access this information through the mapping and zoning and land use bylaws pages on our RDEK website, and we are always happy to connect with people in person or over the phone to check their zoning and guide them through the process,” said Cook.
The new permitting process only applies to specific zones in the RDEK’s six Electoral Areas and those in municipal boundaries may have to follow different regulations.
The RDEK has a page on its website dedicated to information on its short-term rental policy, which can be found at the end of this article.
“We anticipate adding more FAQs as we move through this new phase of implementation and will continue to provide ongoing updates with regard to any impacts and potential future changes,” says Cook.
More: Short Term Rentals (RDEK)