The Town of French River is the latest in Northern Ontario to consider restricting short-term rentals, and is proposing to cap the total number of available properties at 50.
This summer will provide the opportunity to conduct the first test of new restrictions on Airbnb and other short-term rental services in Northern Ontario. More and more cities are introducing new rules in an effort to keep customers safe and keep neighborhoods peaceful.
The latest is for the Town of French River, whose city council will consider a short-term rental bylaw later this month, including a proposed $1,200 annual permit and limits on the number of people that can stay at each property.
Mayor Gisele Pageau says she is also considering capping the total number of short-term rentals allowed in French River at 50 and that it will be on a first-come, first-served basis for the approximately 100 accommodations currently in operation.
Many cities and municipalities in Northern Ontario, which now require Airbnb and Vrbo operators to be licensed, say only a handful have applied for permits.
The Township of Billings on Manitoulin Island, which includes the village of Kagawong, passed a new bylaw this winter requiring that units listed on Airbnb, Vrbo or other services get a permit ranging from $500 to $1000, including fire and building code inspections.
Al Lefebvre runs a general store in Kagawong and owns four apartments attached to it that he lists on Airbnb, earning up to $70,000 a year.
As a registered business, he does not need to obtain a permit, but he suspects the drop in bookings he is seeing this summer is due to fears over the new regulations. He pities people who have bought a place in town, who plan to cover part of their costs by renting it for a while and who are not sure how they will make ends meet.
I hear it every day in my store. People tell me: I don’t know what I’m going to do. People are panicking, Lefebvre said.
We wanted to get a head start before we were overwhelmed with short term rentals. We have to find a balance. There are obviously people who are for and others who are not in favor of the bylaw, explains Municipality of Billings Mayor Bryan Barker.
While many cities require permits for short-term rentals, others have outright banned them, and others have done nothing at all to address the issue.
Terry Rees, Executive Director of the Ontario Federation of Cottagers Associations, advises Federation Member Associations not to take a hard line on short-term rentals, as many people now rely on this income to own waterfront property.
For the past three months, the City of Sault Ste. Marie has required a permit to operate a short-term rental business, but planning director Peter Tonazzo says only about 20 permits have been issued and that there could be up to 100 units registered with the City.
He says short-term rentals are an important part of the tourism ecosystem, but safety concerns come first, especially after seven Airbnb guests died in a fire in Montreal last week. last March.
We want to ensure the safety of the units, said Mr. Tonazzo.
Sherry Gauthier, who rented an apartment in Sault Ste. Marie with Airbnb for four years, says she lost four months of business due to delays in getting the permitting system in place .
I have no problem complying. I think the laws and regulations prevent us from being the wild west, but I also think that everyone has the opportunity to work together to achieve the best possible result, mentioned Ms. Gauthier.
The City of North Bay estimates that there are over 100 short-term rental units in the city, but that less than 5 of them are in the process of obtaining the permits required under the new regulations.
In North Bay, operators of short-term rental services have been required to obtain a $600 license since February. But planning director Beverley Hiller says only a handful of the city’s roughly 100 listed properties are following the new rules, and officials may have to start writing tickets just as we enter high season. vacation.