Property owners in Central Elgin looking to list on short-term rental apps like Airbnb and Vrbo will require a licence starting next year.
Municipal officials announced Wednesday that they were beginning to take applications for the short-term rental licences under a new bylaw passed over the summer, which takes effect on Jan. 1, 2026.
The Short-Term Rental Accommodations Licensing bylaw will require short-term rental operators to have a valid licence before they advertise, market, or rent out a property.
Property owners will have to fork over $300 for an initial application fee, along with an annual fee of $650 per unit. Central Elgin officials say the program will be revenue-neutral for the municipality.
Under the bylaw, a short-term rental is defined as a dwelling rented to the public for less than 28 consecutive days, including bed and breakfasts, hostels, and rooming and boarding houses.
The municipality says the new rules are aimed at enhancing safety for guests at short-term rentals and being fair to the operators of local hotels, motels, and inns. Central Elgin includes the lakeside community of Port Stanley, which is dotted with dozens of short-term rental listings, a number that increases during the summer.
In addition to Port Stanley, where many of the short-term rentals in Central Elgin are located, Delany Leitch, deputy clerk for Central Elgin, says they’ve begun to see a growing number of these rentals popping up elsewhere in the municipality, particularly around the PowerCo EV battery plant in St. Thomas.
According to the bylaw, applicants will also have to submit exterior photos of the rental, and a site and floor plan of the property indicating the location and number of bedrooms, egress points, and parking areas, among others.
A fire inspection is also required, along with a written attestation that the building complies with the Building Code Act, according to the bylaw.
In combating issues that can sometimes arise with short-term rentals, Leitch says the municipality is setting up a round-the-clock hotline where community members can report associated disturbances, such as excessive noise.
The person responsible for the short-term rental would have 30 minutes to respond and address any complaints. “The intent is that the majority of these disturbances can be addressed very quickly,” Leitch said.
Central Elgin engaged with local short-term renters and heard concerns about the fee structure and potential requirements. The talks helped the municipality understand the role the rentals play in tourism and the broader local economy, she said.
According to the bylaw, a licence would be in effect from the date it’s issued until the end of that year. If an application is received after the second Monday of November but before Dec. 31, the licence would be in effect until the end of the following year.