Last month’s launch of a new licensing bylaw for short-term rentals in Stratford has laid out a framework for the legal operation of full-dwelling rentals like those popularized by apps like Airbnb, but a local accommodations group says more work is needed to bring all operators into compliance and ensure visitor safety.
Stratford’s new short-term rental accommodation licensing bylaw, which officially came into effect on April 1, requires owners who rent out entire homes for no more than 28 consecutive days for a maximum of 128 days per year to satisfy a list of safety, insurance, parking and similar requirements before they can obtain a licence to legally operate. The new bylaw mirrors a separate existing bylaw that regulates the licensing of bed and breakfasts in Stratford.
As a carrot to operators to comply with its new bylaw, Stratford council opted to suspend all licence fees for both bed and breakfasts and short-term rentals this year. Still, members of the Innkeepers Collective, a group of local owners formed in response to the city’s recent implementation of a 4% accommodations tax, say municipal officials could be doing more to encourage illegal operators to fall in line.
The Innkeepers Collective want local short-term rental operators to know there is a procedure they need to follow to operate safely and legally in the city. At the same time, they also want visitors and locals to understand the importance of staying at a licensed business, whether it’s a bed and breakfast or a full-dwelling rental, and how to register a complaint if an accommodations business is operating illegally.
The Innkeepers Collective would also like the city and Destination Stratford, the city’s tourism organization, to develop its own online listing of licensed accommodations businesses.
Stratford’s chief building official, Jonathan DeWeerd, said the city’s licensing bylaw is intended to provide “peace of mind” for guests since they’ll know the operator “has ensured that property safety measures are in place,” including the appropriate insurance and up-to-date fire inspections.