Wainfleet Township is a step closer to bringing in a new bylaw with teeth to regulate and license short-term property rentals that some residents say are a constant source of noise, disruption and frustration by out-of-towners partying to all hours of the night.
But some members of township council say the new bylaw — expected to pass soon — won’t be soon enough to control short-term rentals (STRs) this summer and that it won’t get things under control until 2024.
Last June, township politicians put a temporary freeze on new STRs while work continued on implanting a system to regulate and license them.
At the Feb. 21 council meeting, Lindsay Earl, manager of community and development services, presented politicians with a new report with the option of either forging ahead with a licensing system, or sticking with the status quo and trying to control behaviour at rentals through existing bylaws and regulations such as the township’s noise bylaw and the Ontario Building Code.
Gilmore and MacLellan said the bylaw, expected to be approved soon with numerous amendments passed at the Feb. 21 meeting, won’t likely come into effect until next year. “This year is already a wash,” said MacLellan.
The numerous changes approved include requiring emergency exit lighting in STRs, a maximum of two adults (plus kids) per bedroom, requiring visitors to depart no later than 9 p.m., allowing a maximum of six visitors subject to available parking, and having staff report back with a suggested cap on the number of licences the township will allow.