The city needs to approve a short-term rentals bylaw by Jan. 24 to access federal funding.
Approving a bylaw to license and regulate short-term rentals, which use platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo, before Jan. 24 could allow the City of Burlington to access federal funding for enforcement and to hire two full-time bylaw officers.
The Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities Canada Short Term Rental Enforcement Fund provides grants to municipalities of up to $4.8-million over three years, to support local enforcement of short-term rental restrictions, in an effort to make more long-term housing available.
A city staff report and proposed bylaw is recommended for approval by city councillors at the Jan. 13 committee of the whole meeting, with a special council meeting scheduled immediately after to finalize approval of the bylaw and make the city’s program eligible for the federal funding.
The staff report states a proposed short-term rental licence fee of $300 will bring up to $150,000 a year to cover administration costs — but will not cover cost of enforcement.
Staff plan to apply for the federal grant, which has a Jan. 24 deadline, to fund two full-time bylaw officers dedicated to short-term rental enforcement.
“Without funding, staff will need to prioritize this enforcement over other areas in the city,” the report states. “The caveat is that council must approve this proposed licensing bylaw prior to the funding application deadline of Jan. 24, 2025. Failure to approve by this time would prevent Burlington from applying for enforcement funding of approximately $100,000 (to) $4.8 million.”
A 2023 University of Calgary study on the State of Short-Term Rental Regulation in Canada analyzed approaches by 25 municipalities across the country and found some enforcement challenges come from lack of local staff.
The staff report states Burlington has had issues with short-term rental accommodations impacting neighbourhoods, creating noise, parking issues and garbage.
Staff’s preliminary review found Burlington has approximately 700 to 1,000 advertised short-term rentals across the main booking platforms.
“In discussion with industry experts, it is normal for businesses to advertise on multiple sites which means the number of short-term rentals is likely in the range of 350 (to) 500,” the report states.
The proposed bylaw requires that any property licensed as short-term rental accommodation must be the applicant’s primary residence and short-term rentals can only be for a maximum 28 consecutive days and total of 183 days per year. The staff report states the short term rental limits are intended to encourage owners to “consider renting for longer periods to aid in the housing crisis.”
Plans for garbage and parking are required and owners must submit proof HVAC and electrical systems meet requirements, and sign a declaration they will comply with maintenance and parking plans as well as Building and Fire Codes.