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With more than 4,200 registered listings in the Vancouver area, Airbnb has been blamed for constricting an already squeaky-tight rental market.

But the company is still on the hunt for new hosts — and is now offering cash incentives for people listing their property for rent on its website for the first time.

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In an email campaign circulating this week, Airbnb is offering $250 for first-time hosts in Vancouver who sign up and complete at least one booking by Sept. 30. It also put details of its plan on its website.

The company is the leader in short-term and vacation rental accommodation, accounting for almost 85 per cent of the nearly 5,000 active listings in Vancouver alone — which has triggered a review by city hall into how to limit its impact on rental housing. The city is currently experiencing a record-low rental vacancy rate of just 0.5 per cent.

Photo by Airbnb

Airbnb’s new campaign appears to be limited to the Metro Vancouver and Toronto areas, two Canadian cities where major concerns have been raised about the impact of the short term rental service on the general rental market.