Short-Term Rental (STR) have become an option in the past few years as Airbnb and Vrbo became popular approaches to marketing accommodation online. Soon more established sites like Booking.com which used to deal exclusively with hotels and motels began listing other forms of accommodation as well. The on-line STR rentals can be anything from individual rooms to complete apartments or houses, including those with special features. Online marketing approaches have also evolved, and now many B&B establishments use them as well.
Several municipalities have taken a variety of approaches to regulating STRs, often adopting approaches that relate to local conditions. Where some STRs have created problems (noise, parking, letter, safety) the regulatory approach has been able to respond to those issues. Where available housing for long-term residents or unfair competition with traditional accommodation has been a concern, the regulatory approach has been a stricter form of regulating these concerns.
However, STRs do provide additional accommodation for visitors – attending community events, visiting families or simply enjoying the environment. Some property owners have found STRs to be a good way to bring in additional income.
Many municipalities simply do not regulate STRs, where no significant problems have emerged. However, municipalities that incur a significant number of visitors, such as those in “cottage country” around Georgian Bay, have adopted regulations aimed at improving safety, oriented to limiting nuisance, and sometimes aimed at limiting the STR impact on the market.
On Monday, September 30th, staff presented the Draft Short-Term Rental Report to Council for their review. This report highlights the community engagement efforts, including workshops and a survey, and provides recommendations for a short-term rental licensing program.
Next steps:
Have a say - share your thoughts about the Draft Short-Term Rental Report below
Staff will refer the draft report to the Economic Prosperity and Growth Advisory Committee for further engagement.
The final report and draft by-law will be presented to Council later this fall.
