Southern Gulf Islands cracking down on Airbnb-type rentals

Airbnb listings on Salt Spring Island are shown.

Salt Spring and Galiano islands are cracking down on short-term vacation rentals.

The Islands Trust is taking legal action on each island against a specific property that is unlawfully being used as a short-term rental, including one home with eight bedrooms.

Both islands have bylaws that prohibit the short-term rental of entire single-family houses where the owner does not live, because of concerns about a lack of long-term housing in the communities, as well as a scarcity of water and high fire risk on the islands.

The trust is seeking court orders to stop the properties from being operated as short-term rentals.