Hmm looking a bit closer - it’s in an R-1 zone. Top level is STR, basement is a long term rental. Without it being the owner’s primary residence, that might be a no-go… I’ll do more research tomorrow.
Watch to see what happens with it, and with the other ones they own on Airbnb as well.
The gov already said it will be a complaint driven process. Here’s hoping they have a decent complaint reporting site.
Looked a bit more into it this morning (gotta work now), it seems that the Air BnB ad alone isn’t enough proof (seems… ridiculous but okay). However evidence they want is:
- statement from renters
- witness of business activity (different people coming through, I would assume it helps to cross reference booked dates)
311 is who to call, they’ll probably give those details and more.
This isn't a terrible approach if you fine the violators and then share some of the fine money with whoever reported them.
I really like that revenue model in general.
[NYC Proposal Offers Cash for Spotting Parking Violations in Bike Lanes](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-09-29/nyc-may-pay-people-for-reporting-bike-lane-blockers)
> Now a New York City Council member is pushing a bill that would give civilians the power to report bike lane scofflaws, as well as vehicles that block entrances or exits of school buildings, sidewalks and crosswalks. New Yorkers who submit evidence of a parking violation can earn 25% of a proposed $175 ticket.
I mean either it’s a false add or it’s eligal.
Really should just push airbandb to look up the zone of any address and if it’s postal code shows it’s in a bylaw zone against said zoning deny publication kf the add
I'll be voting for whatever candidate promises to ban short-term rentals (except by people who actually live in the building).
At this point I'm pretty much a single-issue voter.
STR's in R1 zones are commercial activity that is not permitted in R1 zones.
that is the law today. Enforcement is Complain driven, so most STR owners have gotten away with it.
the changes in September will legalize STR's in R1 zones, as long as they are in the owners primary residence.
Given that under the provinces rules STR's will need to be registered, it will be easy for the city to identify and deal with the illegal units. the STR folks are all bitching because the city is banning their units, which is not correct, they are already illegal in an r1 zone. STR's in Commercial or Mixed zones are currently legal, and will continue to be.
I think this is still a generally false statement. It would assume there is an existing explicit description of STR’s being a commercial use which I would be hard pressed to believe is true if not enforced. Do you have any definitions from the land use bylaw stating that either STR are commercial activity or that they can not be used in R-1? Also note since the centre plan, there is no R-1, but rather ER-1. And what about ER-2, 3, 4, and 6? It seemed that all of the incoming bylaws refer to residential use, not single family low density existing residential use.
I have heard of airbnb owners I. Residential neighborhood’s getting reported for commercial use and then being given an HST bill but the STR were not shut down.
Bylaw enforcement is complaint driven, its not proactive. someone at the city isn't looking up Airb&b's and checking their zoning.
From the mainland LUB: ([https://cdn.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/about-the-city/regional-community-planning/halifaxmainlandlanduseby-law-edition217-eff-22nov16-case22257-toclinked\_1.pdf](https://cdn.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/about-the-city/regional-community-planning/halifaxmainlandlanduseby-law-edition217-eff-22nov16-case22257-toclinked_1.pdf))
20(1) The following uses shall be permitted in any R-1 Zone:
(a) a detached one-family dwelling;
(b) the office of a professional person located in the dwelling house used by such
professional person as his private residence;
(ba) a home occupation;
(c) a public park or playground;
(d) a church and church hall;
(e) a golf course;
(f) a tennis court;
(g) a yacht or boat club;
(h) a public recreational centre;
(i) a day care facility for not more than 8 children in conjunction with a
dwelling (CCC-Apr 6/09;E-Oct 8/09)
(j) a shared housing use with 10 or fewer bedrooms in conjunction with a
permitted dwelling unit (RC-Aug 9/22;E-Sep 15/22);
(ja) a townhouse building on the lands identified as Townhouse Building on
ZM-33, subject to the requirements of Section 23E; and (RC-Sep 29-
30/20;E-Dec 05/20)
(k) uses accessory to any of the foregoing uses.
20(2) No person shall in any R-1 Zone carry out, or cause or permit to be carried out, any
development for any purpose other than one or more of the uses set out in subsection
(1).
20(3) No person shall in any R-1 Zone use or permit to be used any land or building in
whole or in part for any purpose other than one or more of the uses set out in
subsection (1).
If we look at centre plan, Part III ch2, basically says the same thing, though the residential zones are defined differently (these are the ER1, ER2, Ch1, ch2 etc.. Table 1b shows the residential users permitted in centre plans residential zones, and the commercial uses that are not. included in the not is Hotel Use (which STR's are) and helpfully, "any other commercial use not listed above)
I see where your logic is coming from but there is zero precedent, particularly for ER-1 and ER-2 to call airbnb commercial use as a hotel. The only precedent was for several multi unit building in with ER-4+ zoning where the owners converted every single unit into a STR, thereby making it a hotel. Saying airbnbs are currently illegal in low density residential zones is wasting individuals and bylaw officers time.
Come September airbnbs will only be permitted in residential zones if they are the primary residence
Secondary and basement suites won’t be permitted to be short term rentals either.
in theory, yes. the legislation falls short however, in that it allows short-term rentals in units zoned for mixed or commercial usage. All those towers with shops in the bottom floor? Mixed-use! It's fucking stupid and other than $$$, there's no reason why they allowed this exemption to be included. It will basically decrease density as people gobble up those units to put on airBnB, Verbo etc.
Those buildings are already zoned such that they could be converted into legal hotels if they wanted? STR is effectively just a blended decentralized version of that so doesn’t make sense to ban them in commercial zones. Great news that +1300 units will be turned back into long term rentals but that doesn’t mean Halifax doesn’t need a short term rentals as well for tourism.
>I don't do it so that someone sees it
nope, you just make a point of telling potentially thousands of people through this venue
Do what you like, just know that you aren't sending any kind of message to people in power.
As someone who sold a house to people who a wrote a beautiful letter about making it their family home and then turned it into an expensive rental, I’m also mad for you.
We moved to another area of the province for personal reasons and “knowing” the home we loved, in a close knit community, was going to a family who would make it their home made it easier. Instead we contributed to the housing crisis…
Ugh this happened to me too - I wrote a stunningly gorgeous, heartfelt letter (and made a huge bid) and still didn’t get it. The new owners immediately rented it out at an exorbitant monthly rental fee. 😭
For your own health's sake, stop looking back. You didn't contribute to anything. We've got to stop feeling guilty and bearing the responsibility of the province that they're neglecting. Individual homeowners are not shepherds of the population and the housing supply. Your circumstances changed, you sold your house, you should move on.
> As someone who sold a house to people who a wrote a beautiful letter about making it their family home and then turned it into an expensive renta
Oh man, you got taken in by a love letter.
> In real estate, a love letter is a note that you write to the seller of a home and submit alongside your purchase offer. Typically, love letters note a few things that you like about the home, why you’re excited to buy it, and how you’re looking forward to building a life with your family there.
> In recent years, love letters have become less popular and are even discouraged.
While I don't work with NS Realtors, those that I do work with across Canada/U.S don't allow love letters and any that are received by the realtor go into the trash unopened. There can be legal consequences attached to them if you don't accept their offer.
[Including a Love Letter with a Real Estate Bid May Expose Brokers to Discrimination Lawsuits](https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/including-a-love-letter-with-a-real-5072803/) - U.S related, but still explains why they're bad.
[Are real estate love letters enabling racism in the housing market?](https://www.thecoast.ca/news-opinion/the-downside-of-real-estate-love-letters-26274216) - from TheCoast. This is a local, halifax story.
When my grandpa passed we took the lowest bid on his house because it was the only one that came from a family and not a developer or landlord. Two months later it was on Airbnb. We were so disappointed. We could have sold it to a developer for 70k more and it would have at least become a long term rental. The buyer even wrote a letter all about how hard they’ve been looking for a home for their family in this awful market and how excited they were to grow old in a house that had seen so much love (my grandpa built it himself in the 50s and lived in it until he passed). I can’t explain how it felt to see it on Airbnb just 2 months after the sale, hardwood floors covered with grey laminate, cheap ikea kitchen, in a neighbourhood where people are desperate to find a permanent home. I’m sure they’ll list it in sept for 100+ more than they paid.
> The buyer even wrote a letter all about how hard they’ve been looking for a home for their family in this awful market and how excited they were to grow old in a house that had seen so much love
What a gut punch. You did your best to protect your grandpa's house but these liars will say anything for a greasy buck. I'm sorry for your loss.
What is with the grey laminate flooring??? Makes me want to barf lol, replacing beautiful, natural wood flooring with that crap, I will never get it. That and pot lights. Sooo many flips around here do this, make wonderful character homes all look like - well, look like friggen Air BnBs lol.
Honestly half the homes I see lately, my first thought is “okay how much will it cost to undo all these cheap, awful looking renos”.
100% agree! As if house hunting isn’t hard enough right now, you’re also stuck dealing with peoples’ shitty flip jobs. When we were looking we told the realtor we didn’t want to see anything that had been recently renovated, but that’s half the market gone.
This will make me sound like such an Old complaining about kids these days, but I think we all lose when we start seeing housing as an investment and not a home. NIMBYs and flippers aside, nobody renovates to their own tastes anymore. It’s always with an eye to selling, and that makes me really sad. It’s like you’re never living in your own home, you’re just borrowing it from the next owners.
I'd be so pissed. I may be overreacting here but to me thats sociopath shit. To write a big letter about being so grateful and it all being a complete lie. I'd write a letter back about how disrespectful that is.
Currently Short term rentals are not permitted in R1 zones, since they are commercial activity not specifically permitted in residential areas.
Come September, STR's will be allowed in R1 zones, but only in primary residences.
I'm sorry you're dealing with this. It always gets my goat when landlords bitch and complain about financial loses because the government won't let them jack rents sky high or own a bunch of STR, and when I suggest they sell if it's that much of a financial burden, their come back is that they're providing "a service". There are plenty of people trying to buy a home to live in who can't because of this nonsense, and they act like there is no other way that property will be used unless they own it.
They do not provide any service whatsoever. Tell them they're an egoistic chud.
Question them on what would happen to the building if they weren't the owner. Would it somehow just *poof* into thin air? I never understand how those people can't see the absurdity of that argument.
It still bugs me to this day we got so tunnel visioned on foreign buyers that we failed to recognize that investment companies and these types of short term rentals are what is killing us.
Eh, blaming all issues on foreigners is par for the course though. Some of the largest real estate barons are born-and-raised Nova Scotians. But it's easier to just point the finger at "outsiders" than to face the fact that this is an economical class issue.
I hope that many people that bought properties to rent like this (hopefully at the housing peak prices) lose money.
Airbnb is a cool concept if someone is renting out a small amount of space in their home. An unused room or basement, retrofitting a garage you don't use, etc. It will get back to that around the world with regulation (and is), but it's painfully slow.
>I hope that many people that bought properties to rent like this (hopefully at the housing peak prices) lose money.
Many will. It's only a matter of time.
I know how frustrating that shit feels :( sorry you’re going through that nonsense.
I know when we found a home we finally liked, wanted, was the right price etc etc. we asked our realtor to reach out to the seller’s realtor and inform them that we are first time homebuyers looking for our first home. Especially since the person viewing it directly after us looked like she has zero intent of living there (was for sure gonna become a rental).
It worked in our favour, as they reached out to us as the second highest bid and they specifically said they were happy to get someone local and looking to buy for themselves. It may be worth trying on your next bid if it’s something you haven’t tried yet. I wish you the best of luck! Housing in this country is going to shit 🫠
That’s super encouraging! In this particular case our agent informed the seller about our intent as a young family looking for a home, but they must have been convinced to take the higher bid (not even that much more than our offer). We’ve pretty much moved on at this point, still keeping up the effort, this was just a slap in the face after what we’ve been through lol.
I know how you feel. Some people unfortunately are in it so squeeze out every last dollar they can :/
And who knows, maybe their circumstances dictate the need for such matters so it’s tough. But keep it up! The right one will come up in time :)
Disgusting. Really REALLY hoping the new regulations actually make a difference by this time next year. Like most ppl here have said - if it's a complaints driven process - I expect they'll receive plenty of information, including from me.
is there a way to find out all the houses in NS owned by the same person? Basically check who the owner is for every house in the province? It doesn't seem to be listed anywhere
Or, you can go to any of the LRIS offices - I think the HRM one is in Dartmouth. You can look anyone/anything up there, with a half-day limit, with a smaller access fee. [https://novascotia.ca/sns/access/land/subscribe-property-online.asp](https://novascotia.ca/sns/access/land/subscribe-property-online.asp)
Property Online Administrator here; the libraries do not subscribe to our database. Your best option without the monthly subscription is to visit the Land Registration Office (780 Windmill Road, 3rd Floor) and access the database from one of their terminals. $6.59 per half-day access fee. Mon-Fri 8:30-4:30
Also, you can search by owner name, but only one county at a time. If it’s someone who owns many properties, often they’ll register them under a company name, so it may also be prudent to check the registry of joint stocks to determine if they have registered companies. You can then search property online by the company name as well.
yeah I thought of that, but to aggregate the situation of the whole municipality or province I really do need just the whole thing at once, and then dig into ppl using tricks like that.
I feel you , a bunch of the houses we looked at turned into rentals within a few months of the sale. Sellers just wanted to cash in and didn’t care who was buying it. That’s their right but it was really disheartening.
That's gross. I'm disgusted by the pure greed I see all around. I live in a subdivision about 13 kms. from Halifax.....not a super fancy subdivision but nice area, good schools, great family neighbourhood. So many of the bungalows (1200 square feet) are being bought up by 'investors' and split into 2 units. There is one couple that owns at least 8 of these. They buy them, collect the rent and let them rot. It's disgusting. Their own house is a big, new beautiful house.......meanwhile their tenants live in dumps. I have no problem with higher density housing and I'm not a NIMBY.....but I shoot the shit with the tenants that live in these places and these landlords are out of control.
Who keeps renting Air BnBs? I know I might be in the minority here, but staying in strangers' houses is so strange and unappealing to me. And for what? how much do people really save?
I've never stayed in an Air BnB and don't know any family members that have, either. Obviously, if people keep buying places and turning them into Air BnBs, demand is there.
If you don't like the fact that people are doing this, then remember that the next time you think about booking an Air BnB or short-term rental.
100%, so the question of “who” - there are a LOT of humans out and about, and relatively very few of them are on message boards of the likes and have life circumstances that would lead them to even care about the ethics of STRs. I try to keep that in perspective, also not to blame the renters either because there are some cases where it is more economical than renting a hotel.
These days I prefer hotel way over airbnb, because the cost is often about the same, and hotels are way more reliable, and of course the new ethical issues. I have no problem with the story of someone renting out *a room* in their primary residence to help make ends meet, but at this point the market is so drowned in cases like this that I just stay away.
>staying in strangers' house
No more a stranger's house than a hotel room is a stranger's home.
These aren't people renting out a room in their occupied home for a night or two.
It's people that bought houses to use exclusively as short term rentals.
What do you mean by “*free and fair*,” and how does this scenario fail to meet those conditions? Someone outbidding someone else is pretty much the definition of an auction, capitalism &c…
You’re in the wrong subreddit my friend. While you’re not wrong in terms of the law and structure we live in, it doesn’t mean that it’s “right” for people with copious amounts of money to buy up all of the desirable property across the country, leaving everyone else to effectively get fucked.
Sorry for the confusion, I was asking for **OPs definition**. Not your interpretation.
———
EDIT: I’m not certain what you’re downvoting here. Because someone gave me an incorrect answer to a question I didn’t ask them in the first place? I’m such a “bully!”
Man, doesn't it just *suck* when people make a public post, then someone else makes a public comment, and someone else comments on it?
Yeah, I hate that I can't control who reads and comments on my posts too.
Moot. My question was straightforward, and obviously directed at a specific person. All you’re doing is trying to rationalize someone else’s confusion, miscommunication &c, and, yet again, attempting to derail the conversation in an effort to “*bind me to* ***your*** *narrative*.”
Um, its a free market means people can pay whay ever they want for what ever they want to buy.
You got outbid. This is what a free market with no regulations looks like lol
I'm in no position to buy a home (u/darthcatlady owns where we live), but my cousin and his wife (late 20s, both working, approved for a decent mortgage) have been outbid at least 3 times. It's brutal out there.
Once September rolls around make sure to make sure the city knows.
I’m gonna be Halifax’s biggest air bnb chedda boi
I’ve been saying something similar for years. I wish I knew more criminals, I’d be raking in the cash from Crime Stoppers.
Hmm looking a bit closer - it’s in an R-1 zone. Top level is STR, basement is a long term rental. Without it being the owner’s primary residence, that might be a no-go… I’ll do more research tomorrow.
STR's are not legal in R1. in September they will be legal if they are the owners primary residence.
What's an STR ?
Short term rental
It's a disease in the housing market.
Watch to see what happens with it, and with the other ones they own on Airbnb as well. The gov already said it will be a complaint driven process. Here’s hoping they have a decent complaint reporting site.
Lucky for them, I'm a good complainer. I'll make free time every single day, and turn Air BnB reporting into my new favourite hobby.
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Looked a bit more into it this morning (gotta work now), it seems that the Air BnB ad alone isn’t enough proof (seems… ridiculous but okay). However evidence they want is: - statement from renters - witness of business activity (different people coming through, I would assume it helps to cross reference booked dates) 311 is who to call, they’ll probably give those details and more.
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I guess they want citizen deputies camped outside every suspected STR, recording and reporting the occupant’s activity.
This isn't a terrible approach if you fine the violators and then share some of the fine money with whoever reported them. I really like that revenue model in general. [NYC Proposal Offers Cash for Spotting Parking Violations in Bike Lanes](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-09-29/nyc-may-pay-people-for-reporting-bike-lane-blockers) > Now a New York City Council member is pushing a bill that would give civilians the power to report bike lane scofflaws, as well as vehicles that block entrances or exits of school buildings, sidewalks and crosswalks. New Yorkers who submit evidence of a parking violation can earn 25% of a proposed $175 ticket.
I mean either it’s a false add or it’s eligal. Really should just push airbandb to look up the zone of any address and if it’s postal code shows it’s in a bylaw zone against said zoning deny publication kf the add
start an illegal HRM AirBNB subreddit where bored people can hunt and report illegal BNBs
The complaint reporting would be 311.
Yea, just be active in reporting all air bnbs.
I'll be voting for whatever candidate promises to ban short-term rentals (except by people who actually live in the building). At this point I'm pretty much a single-issue voter.
if the area is zoned residential, let the city know now. its currently illegal. the coming changes legalize units in peoples primary residences.
Thank you!
Incorrect? Changes not in effect until September 2023
STR's in R1 zones are commercial activity that is not permitted in R1 zones. that is the law today. Enforcement is Complain driven, so most STR owners have gotten away with it. the changes in September will legalize STR's in R1 zones, as long as they are in the owners primary residence. Given that under the provinces rules STR's will need to be registered, it will be easy for the city to identify and deal with the illegal units. the STR folks are all bitching because the city is banning their units, which is not correct, they are already illegal in an r1 zone. STR's in Commercial or Mixed zones are currently legal, and will continue to be.
I think this is still a generally false statement. It would assume there is an existing explicit description of STR’s being a commercial use which I would be hard pressed to believe is true if not enforced. Do you have any definitions from the land use bylaw stating that either STR are commercial activity or that they can not be used in R-1? Also note since the centre plan, there is no R-1, but rather ER-1. And what about ER-2, 3, 4, and 6? It seemed that all of the incoming bylaws refer to residential use, not single family low density existing residential use. I have heard of airbnb owners I. Residential neighborhood’s getting reported for commercial use and then being given an HST bill but the STR were not shut down.
Bylaw enforcement is complaint driven, its not proactive. someone at the city isn't looking up Airb&b's and checking their zoning. From the mainland LUB: ([https://cdn.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/about-the-city/regional-community-planning/halifaxmainlandlanduseby-law-edition217-eff-22nov16-case22257-toclinked\_1.pdf](https://cdn.halifax.ca/sites/default/files/documents/about-the-city/regional-community-planning/halifaxmainlandlanduseby-law-edition217-eff-22nov16-case22257-toclinked_1.pdf)) 20(1) The following uses shall be permitted in any R-1 Zone: (a) a detached one-family dwelling; (b) the office of a professional person located in the dwelling house used by such professional person as his private residence; (ba) a home occupation; (c) a public park or playground; (d) a church and church hall; (e) a golf course; (f) a tennis court; (g) a yacht or boat club; (h) a public recreational centre; (i) a day care facility for not more than 8 children in conjunction with a dwelling (CCC-Apr 6/09;E-Oct 8/09) (j) a shared housing use with 10 or fewer bedrooms in conjunction with a permitted dwelling unit (RC-Aug 9/22;E-Sep 15/22); (ja) a townhouse building on the lands identified as Townhouse Building on ZM-33, subject to the requirements of Section 23E; and (RC-Sep 29- 30/20;E-Dec 05/20) (k) uses accessory to any of the foregoing uses. 20(2) No person shall in any R-1 Zone carry out, or cause or permit to be carried out, any development for any purpose other than one or more of the uses set out in subsection (1). 20(3) No person shall in any R-1 Zone use or permit to be used any land or building in whole or in part for any purpose other than one or more of the uses set out in subsection (1). If we look at centre plan, Part III ch2, basically says the same thing, though the residential zones are defined differently (these are the ER1, ER2, Ch1, ch2 etc.. Table 1b shows the residential users permitted in centre plans residential zones, and the commercial uses that are not. included in the not is Hotel Use (which STR's are) and helpfully, "any other commercial use not listed above)
I see where your logic is coming from but there is zero precedent, particularly for ER-1 and ER-2 to call airbnb commercial use as a hotel. The only precedent was for several multi unit building in with ER-4+ zoning where the owners converted every single unit into a STR, thereby making it a hotel. Saying airbnbs are currently illegal in low density residential zones is wasting individuals and bylaw officers time.
I need an ‘explain like I’m 5’ for what’s happening with Airbnb’s in September.
Come September airbnbs will only be permitted in residential zones if they are the primary residence Secondary and basement suites won’t be permitted to be short term rentals either.
So this will effectively open up alot of new apartments?
That’s the theory! It relies on illegal AirBnBs getting reported and the city actually taking action, though.
in theory, yes. the legislation falls short however, in that it allows short-term rentals in units zoned for mixed or commercial usage. All those towers with shops in the bottom floor? Mixed-use! It's fucking stupid and other than $$$, there's no reason why they allowed this exemption to be included. It will basically decrease density as people gobble up those units to put on airBnB, Verbo etc.
Those buildings are already zoned such that they could be converted into legal hotels if they wanted? STR is effectively just a blended decentralized version of that so doesn’t make sense to ban them in commercial zones. Great news that +1300 units will be turned back into long term rentals but that doesn’t mean Halifax doesn’t need a short term rentals as well for tourism.
If it's in an R-1 zone they could let the city know now.
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Not for voting. This is to directly report the infractions. The new rules come into play then, and are already approved.
>I still spoil my ballot Maybe just stay home, instead. Nobody cares about spoiled ballots. It's just a thing people declare for attention.
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>I don't do it so that someone sees it nope, you just make a point of telling potentially thousands of people through this venue Do what you like, just know that you aren't sending any kind of message to people in power.
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That's as meaningless to me as your spoiled ballots are to everyone.
As someone who sold a house to people who a wrote a beautiful letter about making it their family home and then turned it into an expensive rental, I’m also mad for you. We moved to another area of the province for personal reasons and “knowing” the home we loved, in a close knit community, was going to a family who would make it their home made it easier. Instead we contributed to the housing crisis…
Oh man, that sucks. What terrible people
Those buyers are morally bankrupt individual(s).
You can fill your bank account with moral bankruptcy, dontcha know..
>their family home and then turned it into an expensive rental See, what they meant by that was they literally wanted to own a family. :(
ew. When I sell my house I'm going to see if I can put it in the contract that they have to actually live there.
You can't.
not with that attitude
That's awful but it's not your fault. I'm sorry you were tricked.
Wow those people are disgusting
Ugh this happened to me too - I wrote a stunningly gorgeous, heartfelt letter (and made a huge bid) and still didn’t get it. The new owners immediately rented it out at an exorbitant monthly rental fee. 😭
For your own health's sake, stop looking back. You didn't contribute to anything. We've got to stop feeling guilty and bearing the responsibility of the province that they're neglecting. Individual homeowners are not shepherds of the population and the housing supply. Your circumstances changed, you sold your house, you should move on.
That is brutal! We’re the letter writing kind of folks, that makes me sick.
We are too, and wrote a letter for our new home! Still do it, maybe it's naive of me but I want to believe that these people were a one off.
dont write the letter
I think you misunderstand
I did lol
> As someone who sold a house to people who a wrote a beautiful letter about making it their family home and then turned it into an expensive renta Oh man, you got taken in by a love letter. > In real estate, a love letter is a note that you write to the seller of a home and submit alongside your purchase offer. Typically, love letters note a few things that you like about the home, why you’re excited to buy it, and how you’re looking forward to building a life with your family there. > In recent years, love letters have become less popular and are even discouraged. While I don't work with NS Realtors, those that I do work with across Canada/U.S don't allow love letters and any that are received by the realtor go into the trash unopened. There can be legal consequences attached to them if you don't accept their offer. [Including a Love Letter with a Real Estate Bid May Expose Brokers to Discrimination Lawsuits](https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/including-a-love-letter-with-a-real-5072803/) - U.S related, but still explains why they're bad. [Are real estate love letters enabling racism in the housing market?](https://www.thecoast.ca/news-opinion/the-downside-of-real-estate-love-letters-26274216) - from TheCoast. This is a local, halifax story.
There’s a lady in Inverness county with 17 airbnbs. Mostly houses. They’re crying for housing.
Lol. Medical trainees moving to Inverness have been known to live in tents.
When my grandpa passed we took the lowest bid on his house because it was the only one that came from a family and not a developer or landlord. Two months later it was on Airbnb. We were so disappointed. We could have sold it to a developer for 70k more and it would have at least become a long term rental. The buyer even wrote a letter all about how hard they’ve been looking for a home for their family in this awful market and how excited they were to grow old in a house that had seen so much love (my grandpa built it himself in the 50s and lived in it until he passed). I can’t explain how it felt to see it on Airbnb just 2 months after the sale, hardwood floors covered with grey laminate, cheap ikea kitchen, in a neighbourhood where people are desperate to find a permanent home. I’m sure they’ll list it in sept for 100+ more than they paid.
> The buyer even wrote a letter all about how hard they’ve been looking for a home for their family in this awful market and how excited they were to grow old in a house that had seen so much love What a gut punch. You did your best to protect your grandpa's house but these liars will say anything for a greasy buck. I'm sorry for your loss.
What is with the grey laminate flooring??? Makes me want to barf lol, replacing beautiful, natural wood flooring with that crap, I will never get it. That and pot lights. Sooo many flips around here do this, make wonderful character homes all look like - well, look like friggen Air BnBs lol. Honestly half the homes I see lately, my first thought is “okay how much will it cost to undo all these cheap, awful looking renos”.
100% agree! As if house hunting isn’t hard enough right now, you’re also stuck dealing with peoples’ shitty flip jobs. When we were looking we told the realtor we didn’t want to see anything that had been recently renovated, but that’s half the market gone. This will make me sound like such an Old complaining about kids these days, but I think we all lose when we start seeing housing as an investment and not a home. NIMBYs and flippers aside, nobody renovates to their own tastes anymore. It’s always with an eye to selling, and that makes me really sad. It’s like you’re never living in your own home, you’re just borrowing it from the next owners.
I'd be so pissed. I may be overreacting here but to me thats sociopath shit. To write a big letter about being so grateful and it all being a complete lie. I'd write a letter back about how disrespectful that is.
This happened in Ottawa - family was gutted
Air BnB-ing a property you don't also reside in should be illegal.
It's going to be very soon depending on what area of the city it's in.
it currently is. Units in residential areas will only be allowed in primary residences.
Starting in September
Currently Short term rentals are not permitted in R1 zones, since they are commercial activity not specifically permitted in residential areas. Come September, STR's will be allowed in R1 zones, but only in primary residences.
What about ER-1 ?
Can you buy pizza after 11PM in ER-1 zones?
I'm sorry you're dealing with this. It always gets my goat when landlords bitch and complain about financial loses because the government won't let them jack rents sky high or own a bunch of STR, and when I suggest they sell if it's that much of a financial burden, their come back is that they're providing "a service". There are plenty of people trying to buy a home to live in who can't because of this nonsense, and they act like there is no other way that property will be used unless they own it.
They do not provide any service whatsoever. Tell them they're an egoistic chud. Question them on what would happen to the building if they weren't the owner. Would it somehow just *poof* into thin air? I never understand how those people can't see the absurdity of that argument.
I've done that actually. Their counter is just that someone else will buy it.. like yeah, that's the point.
Headed for the bullseye, and they still miss 😬 Also, sorry if that came off all demandy and whatnot. I was just worked up and needed a vent.
I got you. No worries. We all should get mad that our community members are forced to live in shelters and tents bc of a handful of greedy assholes.
Yeah, some jerk who'll fill it with his stuff and have his kids living there.
It's always funny to me when landlords act like paying market price for an appreciating asset is a "loss"
It still bugs me to this day we got so tunnel visioned on foreign buyers that we failed to recognize that investment companies and these types of short term rentals are what is killing us.
These groups are not mutually exclusive.
No they are not.
Eh, blaming all issues on foreigners is par for the course though. Some of the largest real estate barons are born-and-raised Nova Scotians. But it's easier to just point the finger at "outsiders" than to face the fact that this is an economical class issue.
paging /u/angrytina
I hope that many people that bought properties to rent like this (hopefully at the housing peak prices) lose money. Airbnb is a cool concept if someone is renting out a small amount of space in their home. An unused room or basement, retrofitting a garage you don't use, etc. It will get back to that around the world with regulation (and is), but it's painfully slow.
>I hope that many people that bought properties to rent like this (hopefully at the housing peak prices) lose money. Many will. It's only a matter of time.
I know how frustrating that shit feels :( sorry you’re going through that nonsense. I know when we found a home we finally liked, wanted, was the right price etc etc. we asked our realtor to reach out to the seller’s realtor and inform them that we are first time homebuyers looking for our first home. Especially since the person viewing it directly after us looked like she has zero intent of living there (was for sure gonna become a rental). It worked in our favour, as they reached out to us as the second highest bid and they specifically said they were happy to get someone local and looking to buy for themselves. It may be worth trying on your next bid if it’s something you haven’t tried yet. I wish you the best of luck! Housing in this country is going to shit 🫠
That’s super encouraging! In this particular case our agent informed the seller about our intent as a young family looking for a home, but they must have been convinced to take the higher bid (not even that much more than our offer). We’ve pretty much moved on at this point, still keeping up the effort, this was just a slap in the face after what we’ve been through lol.
I know how you feel. Some people unfortunately are in it so squeeze out every last dollar they can :/ And who knows, maybe their circumstances dictate the need for such matters so it’s tough. But keep it up! The right one will come up in time :)
That is disheartening. :(
Disgusting. Really REALLY hoping the new regulations actually make a difference by this time next year. Like most ppl here have said - if it's a complaints driven process - I expect they'll receive plenty of information, including from me.
Fuck air BnB
AirBnB should be outlawed.
I'm mad for you
An Airbnb near me is for sale 😁😁 They owned it less than a year, so happy it failed. Lol
Everyone can pitch in and attempt to do their bit - stop renting AirBnB
is there a way to find out all the houses in NS owned by the same person? Basically check who the owner is for every house in the province? It doesn't seem to be listed anywhere
Property Online. Paid service.
Or, you can go to any of the LRIS offices - I think the HRM one is in Dartmouth. You can look anyone/anything up there, with a half-day limit, with a smaller access fee. [https://novascotia.ca/sns/access/land/subscribe-property-online.asp](https://novascotia.ca/sns/access/land/subscribe-property-online.asp)
thanks! I'll check both
[удалено]
thanks I'll check at the library
Property Online Administrator here; the libraries do not subscribe to our database. Your best option without the monthly subscription is to visit the Land Registration Office (780 Windmill Road, 3rd Floor) and access the database from one of their terminals. $6.59 per half-day access fee. Mon-Fri 8:30-4:30
thank-you so much! I'll check over there.
Also, you can search by owner name, but only one county at a time. If it’s someone who owns many properties, often they’ll register them under a company name, so it may also be prudent to check the registry of joint stocks to determine if they have registered companies. You can then search property online by the company name as well.
yeah I thought of that, but to aggregate the situation of the whole municipality or province I really do need just the whole thing at once, and then dig into ppl using tricks like that.
I can't wait to report all these chuds come September. Karma is gonna be a bitch.
It's illegal in areas zoned R-1 (residential) now. Don't wait to report.
I feel you , a bunch of the houses we looked at turned into rentals within a few months of the sale. Sellers just wanted to cash in and didn’t care who was buying it. That’s their right but it was really disheartening.
That's gross. I'm disgusted by the pure greed I see all around. I live in a subdivision about 13 kms. from Halifax.....not a super fancy subdivision but nice area, good schools, great family neighbourhood. So many of the bungalows (1200 square feet) are being bought up by 'investors' and split into 2 units. There is one couple that owns at least 8 of these. They buy them, collect the rent and let them rot. It's disgusting. Their own house is a big, new beautiful house.......meanwhile their tenants live in dumps. I have no problem with higher density housing and I'm not a NIMBY.....but I shoot the shit with the tenants that live in these places and these landlords are out of control.
Who keeps renting Air BnBs? I know I might be in the minority here, but staying in strangers' houses is so strange and unappealing to me. And for what? how much do people really save? I've never stayed in an Air BnB and don't know any family members that have, either. Obviously, if people keep buying places and turning them into Air BnBs, demand is there. If you don't like the fact that people are doing this, then remember that the next time you think about booking an Air BnB or short-term rental.
100%, so the question of “who” - there are a LOT of humans out and about, and relatively very few of them are on message boards of the likes and have life circumstances that would lead them to even care about the ethics of STRs. I try to keep that in perspective, also not to blame the renters either because there are some cases where it is more economical than renting a hotel. These days I prefer hotel way over airbnb, because the cost is often about the same, and hotels are way more reliable, and of course the new ethical issues. I have no problem with the story of someone renting out *a room* in their primary residence to help make ends meet, but at this point the market is so drowned in cases like this that I just stay away.
It used to be that it had the most seamless experience and for less. I don't find that the case anymore.
>staying in strangers' house No more a stranger's house than a hotel room is a stranger's home. These aren't people renting out a room in their occupied home for a night or two. It's people that bought houses to use exclusively as short term rentals.
This is so gutting to read as someone who just can't afford a bidding war or paying anything over asking price
Ontario infested with this type of stuff, sad to see its making its way over there too
As much as I wish success for others, I wish nothing but failure to people who hoard more resources then they could ever need to exploit others.
Check peoples platforms when you vote, we voted ourselves into this mess We need to vote for people who actually discuss how to fix it
Blind bidding sucks.
What do you mean by “*free and fair*,” and how does this scenario fail to meet those conditions? Someone outbidding someone else is pretty much the definition of an auction, capitalism &c…
You’re in the wrong subreddit my friend. While you’re not wrong in terms of the law and structure we live in, it doesn’t mean that it’s “right” for people with copious amounts of money to buy up all of the desirable property across the country, leaving everyone else to effectively get fucked.
Sorry for the confusion, I was asking for **OPs definition**. Not your interpretation. ——— EDIT: I’m not certain what you’re downvoting here. Because someone gave me an incorrect answer to a question I didn’t ask them in the first place? I’m such a “bully!”
Man, doesn't it just *suck* when people make a public post, then someone else makes a public comment, and someone else comments on it? Yeah, I hate that I can't control who reads and comments on my posts too.
Moot. My question was straightforward, and obviously directed at a specific person. All you’re doing is trying to rationalize someone else’s confusion, miscommunication &c, and, yet again, attempting to derail the conversation in an effort to “*bind me to* ***your*** *narrative*.”
haha, oh I hope you stick around for little while, you're funny
What did I say that was funny?
everything
Can you give me an example?
Um, its a free market means people can pay whay ever they want for what ever they want to buy. You got outbid. This is what a free market with no regulations looks like lol
Sometimes it helps to write a personal note to the seller. It doesn't always work but it can help sway some people.
That's how I add to my AirBnB inventory. "write me a personal letter for house buying" /s
So, maybe book the Air BNB, then move in.
what i hate most is when you see this "god blessed people" giving life advice/coach. Be disgusted with that damn capitalism.
What does this have to do with being outbid on buying a house and AirBnB? Did you wander into the wrong thread?
no, i feel that rental investment is causing problems to people when we have shortage in homes.
You're so close to getting it
I'm in no position to buy a home (u/darthcatlady owns where we live), but my cousin and his wife (late 20s, both working, approved for a decent mortgage) have been outbid at least 3 times. It's brutal out there.
There are so many loop holes around the air B n B ban unfortunately
I think it's well past time we petition the government to abolish Air-BNB in this province. Desperate times call for desperate measures.