The Record · Vancouver Morning Wire

Your City Hall just approved another short-term rental. What gives?

Your City Hall is okay with more short-term rentals.

So, a quick look at the recent council votes shows something that quietly sailed through. On April 21st, during a Special Council meeting, a business licence application for a short-term rental at 1801-1788 Columbia Street came up. This isn't a massive complex, just one unit. But what's notable is the unanimous support it received from councillors B. Montague, L. Zhou, and S. Orr. Councillor R. Bligh was absent, which we also saw during the Public Hearing for the Canada Place text amendment on April 14th.

* **Location:** 1801-1788 Columbia Street * **Date:** April 21, 2026 * **Decision:** Carried Unanimously * **Application Type:** Business Licence Application No. AL0188353 (Short Term Rental)

It feels like City Hall is quietly opening the door, inch by inch, to more of these. The optics of a unanimous vote on a short-term rental, even for a single unit, always make me pause. Especially when we're still grappling with housing availability.

Beautiful out here. Complicated in here. That's the coast.

Kenji Nakashima, MiTL Sports Desk, Vancouver.

I’m talking about this more tomorrow morning — hear it live at mornings.live.

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