The City of Hamilton wants to hear what residents think of short-term rentals now that more of them — AirBnB and others — are popping up around the city.

A new city survey asks people if they think short-term rentals impact the already tight affordable housing market. For landowners, they generate income, the city says. But for those looking for rental units, they're a problem.

Cities across Canada have grappled with the idea of short-term rentals. In Vancouver, short-term renters need licenses now. In Montreal, CBC News found a downtown condo tower with just one full-time resident.

On AirBnB, Hamilton-area rentals range from $18 per night for a bedroom in central Hamilton to $1,300 per night for an 8,000-square-foot mansion on Lakeshore Road in Burlington.

The new Hamilton campaign includes posters and promo material at libraries, rec centres and other areas of the city. The survey will be online for three months at www.hamilton.ca/shorttermrentals. Respondents only have to provide their postal codes.