Report proposes licensing, fees, taxes and permissions to regulate house sharing.
Dozens of people addressed a city hall committee Tuesday that’s looking at proposals to impose more stringent restrictions on Airbnb and other online home rental services in London, Ont. — with options including fees, taxes and licensing — as part of a growing effort to regulate home sharing in the city.
Online hosts would be required to obtain a licence for the property where the short-term rental takes place in order to prevent what the report calls “destructive, headline-grabbing parties,” such as the high-profile blowout in 2019 that resulted in nine arrests and $80,000 worth of damage to a London home.
Licensing would require applicants to prove the property is their home in order to prevent commercial operators from ducking regulations aimed at hotels and motels, the recommendations said. It would also allow bylaw officers to ensure the property is up to code.
The city also proposes a 4% accommodation tax, which would be paid once a year by hosts upon renewal of a property owner’s short-term rental licence.