Renters struggle to find long-term housing in Ottawa as Airbnb’s listings grow

With a growing number of renters struggling to find a place to live, concerns are being raised about Airbnb's impact on rental availability in Ottawa. Some property owners are also finding ways to work around the city's short-term rental rules.

Stephanie Spencer, who moved to Ottawa five months ago, spent three months searching for housing. 

"It was a little concerning that I couldn't find any legitimate properties in Ottawa," Spencer said. "It was all scams. Almost every single listing I was finding was someone who was advertising a property that either didn't actually exist or was in another city."

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Long-term 30-day rentals listed on Airbnb were priced well above her budget. 

"When I first moved here I did consider moving into an Airbnb. But the long-term rentals for Airbnb are ridiculously expensive," Spencer said.

Some monthly rentals costing almost $7,000.

While regulations introduced in April 2022 require permits for short-term Airbnb listings, it is unclear how strictly these rules are enforced.

Investment property owners seem to have found ways around these regulations. Nearly 200 properties are listed for month-long stays on Airbnb on Thursday, bypassing residential rental rules and city bylaws.

Roger Chapman, director of Ottawa Bylaw and Regulatory Services, explained that rentals exceeding 30 consecutive nights are considered long-term housing and subject to residential land use provisions.

Airbnb says more than 60 per cent of hosts in Canada say they use income earned through hosting to cover the rising cost of living. And that long-term rentals aren’t that popular in Ottawa.

"Trips longer than 30 days in Ottawa represent a small fraction of the number of bookings on the platform," an Airbnb spokesperson told CTV News Ottawa. "The reality is that the vast majority of bookings are short-term, and help bring an influx of tourism spending to communities while also helping hosts across the city make ends meet at a time of rising cost of living."

Amid challenges, the traditional rental market has become fiercely competitive. Bidders are often offering above-listed rents to secure properties. 

"Sometimes we're seeing people providing over the rent asking, so that they can get into the property," Nick J. Kyte, Coldwell Banker First Ottawa Real Estate Agent, said.

For Stephanie Spencer, she’s just glad she found a place that suits her needs.

"Know what you are willing to pay and do not always fall for the first listing you see," Spencer says. "Sometimes the ones that sound too good to be true are exactly what they are. Too good to be true."

The city of Ottawa wouldn’t release the total number of Airbnb’s in the area, but there are most likely thousands of short-term rentals across the capital.