Illegal wedding houses face crackdown, Surrey promises
The City of Surrey says bylaw officers are trying to crack down on homes being rented out for multi-day wedding celebrations, but it's not easy.
Residents of some neighbourhoods have been complaining about loud noise and traffic on their streets due to weekly wedding events at rented homes.
Large wedding celebrations lasting several days are common-place in Surrey, particularly within the Indo-Canadian community.
However, according to the city, it is illegal to run a commercial business in a residential neighhourhood.
Jas Rehal, Surrey's manager of bylaw enforcement, says he's aware of radio and Craigslist ads for the wedding home rentals, but it's hard to prove a business transaction took place.
"We walk in there, they're not too open with the officers when they arrive. You know that they're renting it. A lot of times we'll hear it's a family member, it's a friend this and that," says Rehal.
Nevertheless, Rehal says, it's hard on neighbours when there are parties and celebrations every week at the same home, and the city will continue to try to find ways to crackdown.
"We got four of them active right now, and we're still going to find ways to do that, and we're going to keep going hard at it."
