Bylaw Services removed 787 listings from Airbnb in the first year of Ottawa’s short-term rental bylaw, which only allows property owners to rent out their primary homes.
A new report for the Emergency and Protective Services Committee says the city has issued just over 800 short-term permits for properties in Ottawa, while Airbnb registered at least 12 property management firms or individual managers.
The memo, written by Bylaw Services Director Roger Chapman, says the city refused permits to 46 applicants for various reasons during the first year, “most often because the property is not the applicant’s primary residence or because it is not zoned accordingly.”
The city implemented the Short-Term Rental Bylaw in June 2022, with staff saying the regulations would help manage community nuisance issues arising from short-term rental activity and “protect housing inventory for residential use.” The bylaw requires property owners to obtain a permit, which costs $110 for two years, if they planned on renting out their principal residence or part of a residential unit for a period of less than 30 days.
Between June 30, 2022 and June 30, 2023, there were 1,162 bylaw service requests associated with permitted short-term rental locations. Statistics show 148 noise complaints, 92 property standards complaints and 15 service requests for on-site parking.
The city of Ottawa’s Short-Term Rental Bylaw’s temporary zoning amendments are in place for three years, with the city set to review the new rules in 2024.
“There has been some decline in community nuisance issues, and an increasing number are reverting to long-term rentals due to the principal residence requirement, thus improving the available housing supply. Prior to this regulatory regime, these rentals would likely have been used as short-term accommodations only.”
The report does warn the administration and enforcement of the short-term rental rules are “resource-intensive and time-consuming,” and a further review of staffing issues will be required to “render the regime sustainable and effective.”