Illegal Hotels a Problem in Richmond

[whatnext]

This is pretty shocking, though nobody should be surprised that Richmond is the epicentre of this kind of illegal activity:

...I was formally checked in at Lancing House, a home operating — without any permits or licences — as an illegal hotel, with a rather odd hostel-like feel to it — the entire world, it seemed, would appear beneath this roof.

With 82 cases, to August of this year, the City of Richmond has seen more than three times more complaints related to suspected illegal hotels and guest houses in residential zones, than it did in all of 2015. In 2014, the city investigated just five such complaints, according to spokesperson Ted Townsend...

...The house, in fact, has a long history of businesses operating from within it. On other occasions, it has been suspected by neighbours as being used as a “birthing hotel” for Chinese nationals who allegedly use Richmond Hospital to gain Canadian citizenship, via jus soli, for their newborn babies.

Community activist Kerry Starchuk raised the matter and when the city visited the home in May to investigate “non-compliance” of bylaws. She thought her “nightmare” was over. But that hasn’t been the case.

“It’s been really hard as a resident to see all this. Today, I came around the corner and there’s a car licensed in Nova Scotia, with two girls smoking. How am I supposed to have a sense of safety and continuity in my neighbourhood when transient people are coming and going,” said Starchuk last week, via telephone...

...Last Friday inspectors visited Lancing House and shut it down, effectively evicting the guests.

Silvano told me David told him to pack his belongings and leave for two hours for cleaning. The guests were never allowed to return as inspectors turned them away.

The home’s owner is listed as Baohua Zhou, who also goes by Chris Zhou.

I spoke to Zhou after the inspectors had met with him at the home. He denied any wrongdoing. Zhou denied he knew house, one of two he claims to own in Richmond, was listed on Booking.com.
“I just let my friend live here,” said Zhou...

- See more at: http://www.richmond-news.com/news/in....yhh5K36s.dpuf

[cabotp]

Originally Posted by whatnext

I spoke to Zhou after the inspectors had met with him at the home. He denied any wrongdoing. Zhou denied he knew house, one of two he claims to own in Richmond, was listed on Booking.com.
“I just let my friend live here,” said Zhou...

I say bull shit to that statement. Even if he didn't know about what was going on. As the owner of the property it is his responsibility to know what is going on.

[red-paladin]

It's too bad that operating an illegal business isn't treated as a criminal matter instead of a regulatory matter.

[cairnstone]

Originally Posted by red-paladin

It's too bad that operating an illegal business isn't treated as a criminal matter instead of a regulatory matter.

There is tons of this going on in downtown also. Before arbnb I was in a unit to do some repairs. There was bunk beds in the bed rooms and living room. All the people living there were international students being taken advantage of. The boss lady was eastern europe. She had 5 suites like that.

I have also been in bachelors with family of five living in it.

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by cairnstone

There is tons of this going on in downtown also. Before arbnb I was in a unit to do some repairs. There was bunk beds in the bed rooms and living room. All the people living there were international students being taken advantage of. The boss lady was eastern europe. She had 5 suites like that.

I have also been in bachelors with family of five living in it.

It's a quite prevalent and common scenario. I have been in at least 4 suites downtown/west end that are set up like this. Each person usually pays $300-400. On the flip side, most of these people couldn't afford to come to Vancouver to learn english without these accommodations as most earn right around minimum wage if they can get a job here. I'm not justifying it or saying it's a safe scenario but if i were an international student with little funds i would likely do the same.

[quobobo]

Meh. The real crime is that that area is still zoned for single-family homes – that particular house is assessed at $1.7m. Frankly, 11 hotel rooms is probably a better use of the land than a single home that very few Canadians can afford.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by quobobo

Meh. The real crime is that that area is still zoned for single-family homes – that particular house is assessed at $1.7m. Frankly, 11 hotel rooms is probably a better use of the land than a single home that very few Canadians can afford.

Why shouldn't it be zoned for single family homes? It's in a suburb and not even particularly close to the central area of that suburb.

Seriously, SSPers need to get over this erroneous belief that in every city around the world multifamily dwelling is desired or even the norm. For example, did you realize that in dense Japan 60% of the population lives in SFH?

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by red-paladin

It's too bad that operating an illegal business isn't treated as a criminal matter instead of a regulatory matter.

Who is the victim here?

[quobobo]

Originally Posted by whatnext

For example, did you realize that in dense Japan 60% of the population lives in SFH?

Get back to me when someone can build 8 Japanese-size single-family homes on that one massive lot.

I am very familiar with Japanese zoning, and you're comparing apples to oranges. Japanese low-rise residential zoning is *massively* more permissive than North American SFH zoning. It's also not single-family (or even two-family) zoning - people can divide their house into as many suites as they want, as long as it meets building code.

This sort of low-rise Tokyo neighbourhood, predominantly SFHs, would be illegal in at least 5 ways (setbacks, minimum lot size, FAR maximum, # of suites allowed, parking) in that Richmond neighbourhood or even in Vancouver's RS-1.

[whatnext]

Originally Posted by Jebby

Who is the victim here?

To start, the neighbours who have to put up with increased traffic, the municipality providing business services based on a single family home tax rate, the province losing out on hotel tax revenue, tourism marketing losing out on their share of the hotel tax. I'd also wager federal or provincial income tax isn't being paid on this operation, just a hunch...

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by whatnext

To start, the neighbours who have to put up with increased traffic, the municipality providing business services based on a single family home tax rate, the province losing out on hotel tax revenue, tourism marketing losing out on their share of the hotel tax. I'd also wager federal or provincial income tax isn't being paid on this operation, just a hunch...

So basically a minor inconvenience for the neighbors (traffic) and the state not being able to extort money from them.

I fail to see how any of that justifies locking someone up.

[casper]

Originally Posted by whatnext

.....
Community activist Kerry Starchuk raised the matter and when the city visited the home in May to investigate “non-compliance” of bylaws. She thought her “nightmare” was over. But that hasn’t been the case.

“It’s been really hard as a resident to see all this. Today, I came around the corner and there’s a car licensed in Nova Scotia, with two girls smoking. How am I supposed to have a sense of safety and continuity in my neighbourhood when transient people are coming and going,” said Starchuk last week, via telephone...
....
- See more at: http://www.richmond-news.com/news/in....yhh5K36s.dpuf

So basically the problem for the residents are two girls smoking outside and vehicles with license plates from Nova Scotia. These two are leading to the neighbourhood being unsafe.

Really? Those two factors have an impact on resident safety?

You could have the same with airbnb. I would feel safer if most people who smoke do so outside.

[Jebby]

Originally Posted by casper

So basically the problem for the residents are two girls smoking outside and vehicles with license plates from Nova Scotia. These two are leading to the neighbourhood being unsafe.

Really? Those two factors have an impact on resident safety?

You could have the same with airbnb. I would feel safer if most people who smoke do so outside.

The "problem" here is the state isn't able to extort as much money as they'd like to.

[retro_orange]

Originally Posted by Jebby

The "problem" here is the state isn't able to extort as much money as they'd like to.

lol, you make Canada sound like a third world Soviet state. There's a plethora of reasons why a house can't be a hotel, such as the fire code for starters.

[casper]

Originally Posted by retro_orange

lol, you make Canada sound like a third world Soviet state. There's a plethora of reasons why a house can't be a hotel, such as the fire code for starters.

I think it depends on how many people are staying there and if the building was upgraded. Take Vancouver for example, you can get a permit to operate a bed and breakfast. The limit is two rooms and up to four people. That would be in addition to the family that lives there.

The rules are at: http://vancouver.ca/files/cov/Bed-an...guidelines.pdf (Be certain to send the city a letter with 50 cents) after reading it.

[Trans Canada]

^ absolutely, it depends on the situation. And I think bylaw officers are the best people to judge what is and isn't in compliance. Unfortunately, according to OP's article, the volume of incidents has overwhelmed Richmond's bylaw enforcement.

It sounds like bylaw enforcement needs more manpower or a bigger stick to enforce compliance. Of course, legitimate bed and breakfasts should continue to operate with their four person maximum.

[retro_orange]

I can understand turning a house that's leftover from a previous generation of neighborhood like the remaining houses in the west end, downtown or other areas where they have been built up with more density or other uses since the house was constructed.

But in the middle of a 1990's suburban Richmond neighborhood? It's things like this that become the catalyst for the neighborhood to start going downhill. Families won't want to purchase a house near a known illegal hotel with whatever random people coming into the neighborhood, only investors who will likely want to emulate the concept. I also doubt this guy is out there picking up the cigarette butts and garbage like a hotel groundskeeper would do. It would also be much more noisy with tourists dragging luggage daily and taxis and other rental cars coming and going in your neighborhood.

[whatnext]

Looks like one of the ultra-tacky ALR mansions is being operated as a hotel. I doubt whether Richmond will have the stones to act on it:

One more mega home that operated as a hotel on Richmond’s agricultural land is getting attention after a council meeting presentation last week. Located on Steveston Highway near No. 3 Road, the “Richmond Fancy Guesthouse” boasts rooms with “individual climate control, an in-room safe, pay TV, a wardrobe and high ceiling for a comfortable stay in Richmond. Bedroom facilities include pillow-top mattresses, down comforters and down pillows,” according to a post on booked.net....

http://www.richmond-news.com/news/up...tes-1.23192336

[MIPS]

Since that meeting, the city has confirmed with the Richmond News that the property is no longer operating as a hotel and that the short term rental was posted by a tenant.
The operator of the rental and the owner of the property were both fined and the homeowner has since evicted the tenant and is applying for a bed and breakfast license. However, the homeowner was unable to have the listing removed from the travel websites as the owner was not the one who posted the listing.

Are we in Chilliwack? I'm smelling a lot of bullshit.

City hall would never touch it. Chinese influence would nuke any retaliation from orbit.