This thesis focuses on the subject of short-term rentals and their host companies, such as Airbnb, to study the influence of business interests at the local level of government in British Columbia. Worldwide, these companies and their listings have grown exponentially in the last five years, but not without controversy, as they have met up against tenant rights groups, municipalities, and hotel associations who are upset about its effects on housing, neighborhoods and the traditional accommodation sector. Government regulations and municipal policy making are examined to understand the power of lobbying in this context. The lobbying efforts of both Airbnb and the hotel/motel associations are investigated and analyzed, from data collected from both interviews and a survey of local officials in British Columbia’s fourteen designated resort municipalities. The findings confirm that lobbying in municipalities is very active, but the practices are distinct from other levels of government. Recommendations include a lobbyist registrar at the local level to foster transparency and accountability, and a new way of looking at how all levels of government ought to approach regulating the new normal of online platform industries.Arts and Sciences, Irving K. Barber School of (Okanagan)Graduat
