The Yukon’s largest manager of short-term rentals says they’re not opposed to new rules but urges the city to “use common sense.

“There are some missing perspectives generally in the community about what all the Airbnb’s are doing,” Ben Pereira, the president of Neighbourly North, told city council Monday night.

For example, he said, his business really isn’t based on tourism but business users, for their clients and contractors.

The city’s housing and land development advisory committee has put several recommendations before council intended to increase access to long-term housing.

The committee says there are at least 212 short-term rental listings in Whitehorse, with 150 for an entire home and the rest for “shared unit” (bedroom) rentals.

Some are available seasonally. As well, there is a shortage of hotel rooms in town.

“From a philosophical viewpoint, I am pro-regulation,” said Pereira.

“Rules create structures and standards that protect the consumer … they could be positive.

“But the program needs to make sense for the Whitehorse market, and that view on what Whitehorse needs has to come from the community.”

Council agreed to have city staff do further research into the impacts of short-term rentals here and the committee’s recommendations.

The study is expected to cost about $30,000 and may take nine months or more to complete.

Instead of using the regular bylaw engagement process, the city will do a “deep dive” with stakeholders led by a consultant, along with public input.

A decision would likely not be made by council until early 2025.

Pereira urged the city to not use a “sledgehammer approach” to regulating the housing market and to avoid having partisan politics influence the decision-making process.

“I urge mayor and council to be careful with their decision,” he said, noting that Whitehorse needs short-term rentals for local businesses and health care workers.

To aid in access to housing, the committee has recommended:

Ensuring short-term rentals meet basic health and safety requirements to obtain a business licence;

Limit how many short-term rentals an owner may have per property; and

Limit how many short-term rentals are in an area.

As well, different rules would apply depending on if the owner resided on the property or not, i.e. the short-term rental is a secondary use of the property.

“We recognize that currently traditional bed and breakfasts and hotels are at a disadvantage to short-term rentals, which are unregulated,” acting committee chair John Vogt told council.

“Our thinking is that short-term rentals be brought onto a level playing field.”

Neighbourly North manages about 60 properties in Whitehorse, a subset of the 150 or so houses listed on Airbnb.

The city currently does not regulate individual short-term rentals through permitting and licensing.

A business licence is required only if there are three or more rental units in a development, whether they are short- or long-term rentals.

The territorial Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, now under review, does not apply to short-term rental units.