South Pender committee defers enforcement for some vacation rentals
The committee voted to defer enforcement for short-term vacation rentals validly operating as of April 30, 2024, and to act on rentals only after receiving a written complaint.
The South Pender Firestarter · Governance · 2024-09-13 · updated 2026-10-10 · South Pender Island
The South Pender Local Trust Committee voted to defer enforcement for short-term vacation rentals validly operating as of April 30, 2024, and to require written complaints for enforcement on any short-term vacation rentals.[1]
Island Planner Kim Stockdill said the motion would stop proactive enforcement based only on advertisements and that enforcement would not proceed against an operation validly operating as of April 30, 2024, if a written complaint was received.[1]
At town hall, Trustee Kristina Evans described the resolution as a temporary solution and said the committee recognized that short-term vacation rentals support the Islands Trust mandate for the area to be accessible to visitors.[1]
Chair Tobi Elliott said legal, non-conforming use was not like a permit and did not hold up in court, and that one option could be recognizing current operating rentals as home-based occupations.[1]
The committee also asked staff to revise the timeline for its Minor Land Use Bylaw Amendments Project, following discussion of proposed changes to setbacks and other provisions.[1]
Sources
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South Pender Island Local Trust Committee minutes, September 13, 2024
that South Pender Island Local Trust Committee directs Bylaw Enforcement staff to defer enforcement for those short-term vacation rentals validly operating as of April 30, 2024 and that enforcement on any short term vacation rentals be by written complaint only.
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