Over 31,000 homes across Canada were rented out so often they were likely removed from the rental supply, according to a study by McGill University researchers. Forty per cent of the units were found in Canada’s largest cities like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, amounting to 12,000 “lost” housing units. Airbnb contested the 31,000 number and the finding that the company was having an impact on rental housing. (Globe and Mail)

Talking point: This study was funded solely by the federal government, making it an outlier compared with earlier research projects in Canada from groups like Fairbnb, which is financially supported by the hotel industry. It comes as Toronto and Calgary are considering new regulations for short-term housing and other municipalities across Canada are looking at how to address the rapidly growing sector. In Canada, hosts brought in $1.8 billion in revenue last year, up 40 per cent from 2017. This is despite some cities’ efforts to curb short-term rentals; while Montreal introduced permit requirements, it has struggled to actually enforce them. In Vancouver, by contrast, the total number of listings are down, which city officials consider a victory.