Almost six months after the City of Burlington’s short-term accommodation bylaw took effect, only a fraction of impacted property owners had applied for the required licence.
Two dedicated bylaw officers began proactive enforcement this week. They will target hundreds of unlicensed short-term rental properties, a city spokesperson said Friday.
As of Oct. 31, a total of four licences had been issued and nine additional applications were under review. City staff estimate there are at least 300 short-term rental properties in Burlington. The new bylaw was implemented May 1.
A Sept. 26 memo to city councillors stated the first stage of the program, an education process, was complete “with limited success.”
After a five-month grace period for owners to become familiar with the regulations, “we have not received many proactive licence applications.”
By late September, three licences had been issued — two through proactive applications and one through enforcement.
The memo stated there are 300 to 350 active short-term rental properties in Burlington.
Statistics Canada data from 2021 stated there were 346 short-term rental units in Burlington. Those numbers are to be updated following the 2026 census.
“These figures have not been formally verified by the city and are considered estimates,” staff stated in an email.
City communications staff provided the following updated licence and enforcement statistics on Oct. 31:
- Licences issued: 4
- Applications pending: 9
- Notices issued (in various states of achieving compliance): 7
- Pending charges: 1
- Investigations: more than 30 conducted to date
- Investigations closed: 5
Two bylaw officers were hired with a $759,719 grant from the federal short-term rental enforcement fund. Both officers are dedicated to enforcement of the short-term rental bylaw.
Licence applications cost $300 and are renewed annually for the same fee.
More information and licence application forms are available at the short-term accommodations licence page on the city’s website.