Your City Hall is still grappling with short-term rentals
So, last week, on April 21st, the Special Council met to discuss a business license application for a short-term rental at 1801-1788 Columbia Street. Councillor R. Bligh was absent from the vote, but Councillors B. Montague, L. Zhou, and S. Orr all voted in favour. The application ultimately carried unanimously.
It’s interesting because, even with all the talk about Vancouver's housing crunch, these applications are still making their way through. We hear a lot about the big, sweeping policy changes, but it's these smaller, individual decisions that really show how the city is navigating the grey areas.
* **Council Vote:** Special Council, April 21, 2026 * **Item:** Business Licence Application No. AL0188353 (Short Term Rental) * **Location:** 1801-1788 Columbia Street * **Outcome:** Carried Unanimously
It reminds you that, even as the city tries to clamp down on short-term rentals, there’s still a current of activity. The city’s always trying to balance the tourist economy with the housing crisis, and these votes are a quiet reminder of that friction. Beautiful out here. Complicated in here. That's the coast.
What's next? We'll have to see if this unanimous approval signals a new trend, or if it was just a one-off.
Kenji Nakashima, MiTL Sports Desk, Vancouver.
You know, the morning crew always has the pulse on these things. Hear more at mornings.live.