Mixed reviews over proposed short-term rental bylaw
Tiny Township is bringing in regulations to deal with the ever-growing popularity of short-term rentals, but not everyone is pleased with the solution.
"We've had a number of complaints brought to our attention, and as a council, we wanted to give some thought to how we could better manage this," Mayor George Cornell said.
For years property owners, including Yelena Vuckovic, have rented out their homes free of regulations, and now she's concerned about the new limitations.
"We rent it out about 40 days of the year, not more because we use it mostly for ourselves," Vuckovic said. "This is just creating more red tape for normal regular families like us."
During a special council meeting on May 11, council discussed the details of a draft short-term rental licensing bylaw.
PROPOSED CHANGES
The township is looking to cap the number of licenses to 300, approximately three per cent, of the total homes in the municipality.
A cap will also be placed on the rental duration, meaning short-term rentals must be rented for a minimum of six consecutive days and no longer than 28.
The draft bylaw also recommends limits on the number of days per year a property can be rented out. The current limit being explored is between 92 and 105 days.
At the same time, the idea of a 'blackout period' was suggested for August, preventing property owners from renting their properties during that month.
"It's about quality of life, and we want people to be able to come, seasonal folks and even full-time residents, and be able to enjoy their homes," Cornell said.
COMMERCIAL VS. RESIDENTIAL
But some argue the township's solution of a one-size-fits-all approach is problematic, saying the real issue is with commercial properties, which are referred to as ghost hotels.
"The ones that are creating more and more of a problem and driving real estate prices up because these companies are buying up properties and renting multiple properties," said Paul Cowley, president of Tiny Township Shoreline Associations.
"Along with that comes problems with noise, and we have a particular concern with that in Tiny because bylaw enforcement does not seem capable of effectively enforcing that noise bylaw and governing those areas," he added.
The situation has Vuckovic frustrated over what's being proposed, including licensing fees and costs associated with annual inspections.
"The commercial hosts are the only hosts that are going to be able to accomplish this," she said. "It's going to cost us $5,000 annual just to cover licensing."
Council gave further instruction to staff on Wednesday to come back with an implementation plan looking at a target date of June 8.
At that time, the draft bylaw will be up for further discussion.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
Saskatchewan households will continue to receive carbon tax rebate: Trudeau
Households in Saskatchewan will continue to receive Canada Carbon Rebate payments, despite the province refusing to remit the federal carbon price on natural gas, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.
'It's just so hard to let it go': Umar Zameer still haunted by death of Toronto police officer
“It's just so hard to let it go. I mean, everyone is telling me, ‘you have to move on,’ but I know someone is not here [anymore]. So I don't know how I will move on." That’s what Umar Zameer, the man recently acquitted in the death of a Toronto police officer, told CTV News Toronto in a sit-down interview on Tuesday.
Senate expenses climbed to $7.2 million in 2023, up nearly 30%
Senators in Canada claimed $7.2 million in expenses in 2023, a nearly 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko won't play in Game 2
The Vancouver Canucks will be without all-star goalie Thatcher Demko when they face the Nashville Predators in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Pedestrian, baby injured after stroller struck and dragged by vehicle in Squamish, B.C.
Police say a baby and a pedestrian suffered non-life-threatening injuries after a vehicle struck a baby stroller and dragged it for two blocks before stopping in Squamish, B.C.