Once perhaps an occasional appearance in a neighbourhood, short-term rentals are a growing presence in Port Colborne and seem here to stay.
To get a handle on them — and the issues their growing prevalence raises — the city is preparing to regulate the sector of the sharing economy to ensure the people operating them do so in a way that’s compatible with their neighbours.
During its recent meeting, city council directed staff to pursue a combined approach: an official plan and zoning bylaw amendment, which sets out which types of properties can have short-term rentals (STRs) and establishes minimum standards, and a licensing bylaw, which will help manage them, regulating such things as minimum and maximum lengths of stay, number of guests and an overall limit of the number of licences issued.
Ward 3 Coun. Gary Bruno said that the city will be able to benefit from the experience of Wainfleet, which this year implemented tough measures, including $1,000 registration fees and $5,000 fines for unregistered STRs. He also said the enforcement is done by an outside contractor that is self-funded through registration fees.
Chief planner Denise Landry, the consultant working with staff on the project, said the official plan and zoning bylaw changes can be done fairly quickly, but establishing a licensing regimen and communicating it to the broader community is going to take more time.
Council voted for staff to purse the official plan and zoning bylaw amendment, which will be preceded by a public meeting, as well a licensing bylaw.
Staff will present an update at the next council meeting on the progress.