Airbnb has sent a letter to Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson saying it's removed 130 listings from its site.

Airbnb’s Canadian public policy director Alex Dagg says the listings were removed because it's believed they belong to commercial operators and don't meet standards, nor the guest experience Airbnb seeks to provide.

But the letter warns that while the listings have been pulled by Airbnb, they could always appear on other websites.

The move comes as Vancouver is taking steps to regulate short-term rental sites like Airbnb in an effort to free up properties to help ease the city's rental housing crisis.