The City of Kenora is looking at the possibility of regulating short-term property levels amid a housing shortage and rising safety concerns in the still young industry.
The municipality is holding a series of open engagement sessions to gauge public opinion on the increasing amount of short-term vacation rentals being listed in the area on websites like Airbnb, Vrbo, and HomeAway, among others.
The first stage of the public engagement campaign began June 14 with a public survey to find out what people thought of the issue. The 16–question survey asks residents if they’ve ever rented out or used a short term rental unit before, if they’ve ever had problems with any in their area, and whether they live in Kenora year-round or only in the summer months.
The planning department is presenting 4 options to Kenora citizens:
- Maintain the status quo and leave things as they are
- Implement zoning by-laws which would allow short-term rentals in specific areas
- Create annual business licensing requirements
- Ban short-term rentals altogether
The City of Kenora is currently undecided on the issue, and is hoping public feedback will provide some insight.
A report on the engagement campaign’s findings will be presented to Kenora city council in September, with any recommendations to be implemented next year.