Airbnb in Regina: 299 residents currently have short-term licenses to rent their properties

By Judy J. Beasley Last updated Dec 27, 2022

With hotels in and around Regina nearing full capacity, many residents had to look to other means of accommodation during Gray Cup week.

Both Airbnb and Vrbo were options in and around the city for those unable to book a hotel room, some of which were booked a year in advance.

The City of Regina was encouraging local residents to consider applying for a short-term license to rent out their property to Gray Cup fans from across Canada.

According to an email from the city, there are currently 299 licensed short-term accommodations, of which 251 are new licenses issued in 2022 and 48 renewed from 2021.

The city said that since Oct. 15, 31 licenses have been issued, but it could not determine if this was specifically due to Gray Cup festivities since licenses are issued on an annual basis.

The city also said that as of Nov. 21, 23 postings had been revoked in the previous 30 days after failing to obtain a license.

As of May 2021, the City of Regina requires landlords to obtain a Short-Term Accommodation Permit if they wish to develop their primary or secondary residence for rental.

In a statement, the city said a short-term license is required when residents intend to rent their property for less than 30 days.

A license fee for a principal residence is $100 for the year. A secondary property will cost $300 for one year.

One application form must be completed first.

Applications take a few days to process, the city said.

Most properties are then advertised on popular online marketplaces like Airbnb and Vrbo.

According to Airbnb, in 2021 the typical Regina host earned over $7,600 on average on the platform.

According to Airbnb, the average salary earned in the last year is more than a month’s worth for the median Canadian household.

Data for the 2022 Gray Cup in Regina is still being compiled, but Airbnb has reported for the 2021 Gray Cup in Hamilton, Ontario. hosts raised over $160,000 for nights booked between December 10-12.