With summer in full swing, the Town of Innisfil is tackling short-term rental accommodations (STAs), which it says are wreaking havoc.
On Wednesday, town council voted to strengthen the town’s existing bylaws to curb the activity of illegal STAs and hand out fines to those not respecting or adhering to town regulations.
Additionally, recent amendments to the town’s noise bylaw allows enforcement officers to charge short-term rental operations whose guests don’t comply with regulations.
A ticket handed out on the spot carries a fine of $185. If taken to court, an individual can be charged up to $10,000, and a corporation can be charged up to $25,000 a day, up to a maximum of $100,000.
While some short-term rentals like Bed and Breakfasts are allowed in the town’s residential zones, STA’s where the owner does not primarily live on-site are not allowed.
To help with the changes, the town extended its enforcement hours at the end of May.
Staff now work until 11 p.m. on weekdays and until 2 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and holidays until the Labour Day weekend.
Last meeting, council asked staff to prepare a report to determine the costs of hiring additional personnel to monitor neighbours in the evening to help police illegal rentals around the clock.