Banff VRBO condo rental
 

Has anyone stayed at this condo in Banff?

http://www.vrbo.com/208025

It looks nice, but I've read that private rentals are not legal in Banff?? I'm trying to find something with an outdoor area w/grill (patio or deck) for 2 adults in late August/early September in walking distance to the town of Banff with full kitchen and this is one of the few I've found.

There are a lot of B&Bs in Banff. I have never heard that private rentals are illegal. The rental looks nice to me.

Are you also going to visit Jasper? We loved Jasper and the drive on the Icefields Parkway. Are you hikers? You will love the area even if you are not hikers, but the whole area is a hiker's paradise

Yes, we are thinking of spending a week in Banff, maybe a night in Lake Louise and then 5 nights in Jasoer at Alpine Village or Becker's Chalets and then off to Edmonton for a night to fly out the next day. And yes, we like to hike, but easier hiking these days. Nothing too long or steep.

Vacation rentals - the nightly rental of an entire home or condo - is indeed illegal in Banff and Jasper for properties that are zoned residential. (Note that this is not the same thing as a resident offering space within their home, either as a B&B, or a rental suite.) Because of development restrictions in the national parks, there is only a limited amount of space for the towns. Residential leaseholds have a "need to reside" clause as a condition of ownership - anyone own residential real estate in the parks, but only someone with a legally defined "need to reside" can occupy that home. Property owners are required to ensure their tenants also meet the need to reside. Having a need to reside is defined as being employed, owning a business that requires your daily presence, being the spouse or dependent of someone in those categories, or someone who fulfilled those requirements for at least five years before retiring.

There are hotel properties in Banff that have condo-style units. I don't know if this is one of them, or an illegal rental.

The risks you take of renting an illegally operating vacation rental (whether you are aware it is or not) are that enforcement may shut it down, either before or during your stay, or that there is no insurance coverage in the event of a claim, should the insurance company discover that the claim arose from an illegally operating rental. Plus, you have to wonder about the ethics of someone running an illegal business.

I believe this is indeed an illegal rental. I emailed them back to get their comments on the legality of their rental and they never responded. Since I can't find any nice condos in Banff, I think we've decided to stay in Canmore. Thanks for your help.