As Sun Peaks continues reviewing short-term rental (STR) regulations, consultant Ken Cossey, principal of KWC Planning Services, led a public meeting Oct. 16 outlining a multi-phase plan to refine temporary-use permits, strengthen rules and regulation enforcement and address housing challenges within the resort community.
Cossey, who has worked with municipal governments across B.C. since the 1990s, emphasized his firm’s role is to support local governance, not private development.
“I don’t work for developers or the province,” he said. “My role is to help municipalities strengthen their own policies and procedures so they fit their communities.”
The proposed plan divides the process into two stages extending through 2028.
Phase one, planned for this year through 2027 focuses on aligning policies and bylaws, including the Official Community Plan, business licensing regulations and zoning bylaws to create a consistent and enforceable framework.
Phase two beginning in 2028 will look at the long-term direction of temporary-use permits, the 25 per cent cap limits short-term rentals to a quarter of local housing, with geographic information system (GIS) tracking used to monitor and prevent overconcentration in certain areas.
Digital tracking tools like GIS mapping could help identify rental clusters and improve oversight, Cossey explained.
Both phases will maintain an emphasis on enforcement and compliance, with potential measures such as certification for rental managers, tiered penalties for violations and incentives for responsible operators.
This is something many residents emphasized the need for, requesting clearer and more consistent enforcement, ensuring short-term rental owners follow all regulations, including licensing, zoning compliance and addressing issues such as noise, parking and illegal rentals. Attendees noted the current voluntary enforcement system requiring residents to report infractions creates frustration and discourages reporting, as well as the challenges of living beside short-term visitors. Others spoke on the importance of STRs to the economy and energy of Sun Peaks, highlighting the need to balance tourism with full-time residents.
In regards to reporting infractions, Demetri Hofer director of planning and community services, acknowledged reporting rates collected from January to August remain lower than anticipated and confirmed efforts are underway to improve accessibility.
“We completely acknowledge that the number of online submissions through our 24-hour reporting system is lower than expected,” Hofer said. “We’re working on ways to make it easier for the public to use. It’s part of our broader operational review.”
Sun Peaks currently has two bylaw officers, one of which was recently hired, both working 40-hour weeks, Hofer added.
Several residents questioned how much the proposed enforcement infrastructure and ongoing review process would cost taxpayers, which was not answered.
Cossey clarified that his firm’s current contract covers only this phase of the review.
“We’re not engaged for the six-year plan,” he said. “After this stage, it will be implemented and maintained by municipal staff.”
Hofer added the goal is to conduct reviews every two to three years to keep policies responsive to evolving community needs.
“The landscape can change quickly,” Hofer said. “This is something we plan to monitor and adjust regularly.”
Residents also sought clarification on terms such as hosted, non-hosted and hybrid short-term rentals. Cossey explained hosted rentals involve an on-site owner or manager, while hybrid models could include long-term staff accommodation on the same property.
“These are categories that don’t fully exist on the mountain yet,” he said. “Defining them clearly could help address housing gaps while improving accountability.”
Additionally Hofer shared that while new temporary use permits are currently paused during the review, some renewals may move forward depending on council direction.
“The review period will conclude by the end of 2025,” Hofer said. “Once that’s done, council will decide on next steps.”
The municipality will gather further input through surveys and future community meetings before presenting final recommendations to council.
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