The town has put forward a tentative plan for licensing short-term rentals in Collingwood, and they want to hear from you before finalizing it.
During last week’s (May 15) committee of the whole meeting, councillors got a look at the draft licensing bylaw for short-term accommodation (STAs) units which, if adopted, would see the town handing out 200 licenses annually in Collingwood and operators facing requirements limiting the number of people who can stay and for how many days they can operate per year.
And if operators run afoul of the new rules, they could be facing hefty fines.
Despite the current ban on STAs in Collingwood, the town says as of April 28, approximately 372 STAs were situated throughout the town. Included in this total are legal bed-and-breakfast businesses.
In February, council voted unanimously in favour of moving ahead to have staff investigate a principal-residence approach for short-term rentals in Collingwood. A principal-residence approach refers to permitting STAs as a home-based business within principal residences and in accessory units where the property owner occupies the principal residence on the same lot under a licensing framework.
Costs for licenses would be split into three different types: a guest room short-term rental/partial unit rental would be $250 annually, an entire unit principal residence would be $500 and an entire unit accessory dwelling unit would be $750. For both entire-unit options, the property could only be rented out for a maximum of 180 days per year. Owners must apply and pay for a license annually.
The town will also have rules regarding the number of people who can rent an STA at one time. A maximum of two guests are permitted per guest room. A maximum of eight guests and four guest rooms per rental will also be enforced. All guests must sign a renter’s code of conduct and owners will be responsible for ensuring guest compliance.
Implementing the system will require the hiring of new staff. To start, staff are estimating three new positions: a full-time administrator, a full-time bylaw enforcement officer, and a part-time fire inspector, should the system be implemented only during business hours. If the hours of operation are expanded, two more bylaw enforcement officers could also be required.
Under this model, the estimated project costs would be $215,000 in the first year, and $155,000 in the second year.
The committee voted unanimously in favour of giving preliminary approval for the draft short-term accommodation licensing bylaw and framework. The decision will need to be ratified at the next regular meeting of council.
Once approved, the town will proceed to public consultation on the framework, with plans to incorporate community feedback and present a final version to council for approval in the fall of 2023.