The City of Burlington will use a $759,719 federal grant to help hire new staff to enforce its two month old short-term accommodation bylaw.
City staff announced Friday, July 4 its January application to the Housing Infrastructure and Communities Canada Short-Term Rental Enforcement Fund was successful, with the funding coming over two years.
The federal fund’s web page states the program “aims to limit short-term rentals that take away units from the long-term housing market across the country” and provides funding to support local enforcement of short-term rental restrictions “in an effort to make more long-term housing units available in Canada.”
The bylaw, regulating properties rented for 28 days or less at a time, including properties listed through platforms like Airbnb, took effect May 1.
A January 2025 staff report stated a $300 licence fee, for owners of short-term rental units, would bring up to $150,000 a year and pay administration costs, but would not cover enforcement costs.
Staff said at the time it needed the federal grant to fund two full-time bylaw officers dedicated to short-term rental enforcement. Without the federal funding, the city would have to prioritize short-term rental bylaw enforcement over enforcement of other municipal bylaws, according to the staff report.
A city spokesperson said Monday, July 7 a hiring campaign will begin in the “very near future” to assist with enforcement. The spokesperson did not confirm the total number of new staff expected to be hired.
Staff did not respond to a question about how many short-term rental owners have applied for a licence so far.
Staff said many applicants are still in an inquiry, or pre-application, phase.
In a press release announcing the federal funding, city staff said the short term accommodation bylaw is intended to address safety including building and fire code, common neighbourhood nuisances including noise, parking and garbage, and housing availability by encouraging short term rentals to be made available for longer term rental.
The bylaw requires properties licensed as a short-term accommodation to be the primary residence of the applicant, and rented for a maximum of 28 consecutive days, and a total of six months (183 days) per year.
Statistics Canada data from 2021 states there were 346 short term rental units in Burlington, including 67 potential long term rental units.