Meaford’s Council has identified concerns about short-term rentals as their top priority for this term of council, and at Monday’s council meeting they took the first steps toward regulating them.
In recent years, council has heard from residents who are frustrated with a neighbourhood home that has become a short-term rental. Stories of loud, alcohol-fuelled parties at homes rented out by absentee property owners have been shared with council over the course of the last term of council, and in the early days of this current term.
As was made clear during a handful of deputations to council early in Monday’s council meeting, the concerns about short-term rentals by local ratepayers continue to grow, as do voices of support for short-term rentals in a community that lacks an adequate number of traditional accommodations like hotels and motels to serve the needs of those visiting this community.
It is estimated that there are more than 200 short-term rental properties located within the Municipality of Meaford. Staff noted that there have been 12 complaints about short-term rental properties made through the municipal bylaw office since 2020.
Council directed staff to explore the regulations that have been established by other municipalities to use as a framework for the Municipality of Meaford, and also directed staff to reduce the number of public input meetings to one. Public input will also be sought with a questionnaire.
Council revised the language of the project charter’s timeline to reflect council’s desire to have a licencing bylaw in place by the end of this year.
During council’s discussions on Monday, it was clear that all seven members of council are passionate about this issue, and of particular concern for some are absentee property owners, who purchase a property with no intent of residing at the property and instead offer it for short-term rentals.
In addition to implementing regulations to help manage short-term rentals in the municipality, councillors also discussed the potential for generating revenues through the implementation of an accommodation tax.