The strict rules for short-term rentals like Airbnbs in the city have been a controversial subject. The city can get an exemption from the provincial legislation and allow short-term rentals once the vacancy rate stays above 3 per cent. At a council meeting this week, councillor Ron Cannan said he gets calls every week about the short-term rental ban. City manager Doug Gilchrist told Cannan that the city is likely to meet the required vacancy rate to bring more Airbnbs back. Between 2020 and 2023, there was a 93 per cent increase in short-term rentals in Kelowna, jumping from 630 to 1,217.