Town hires private investigator to crack down on illegal short-term rentals

Tiny Township is cracking down on illegal short-term rentals.

"In extreme cases, we've hired a private investigator (PI). It's a great option for us," says Tiny Township Mayor Dave Evans.

After consulting with the town's lawyers, the municipality's bylaw department proposed the idea, and the mayor says they will use the PI on a case-by-case basis.

"In egregious situations or somewhat rare situations, where people are blatantly flouting the bylaw, we need to gather evidence to be able to process these cases successfully," Evans says.

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In 2022, Tiny implemented a licencing system that grants short-term accommodation permits to a maximum of 300 units per year. The cost of the licence is $1,750.

"The vast majority of short-term rental owners who are getting licences are invested in our community. They're getting their certifications, they're paying the money, they're involved, and these are the people we are doing this for. We want to make sure the community is protected," says Evans.

Tiny Township is one of the first municipalities in Simcoe County to utilize a PI for short-term rentals, but neighbouring municipalities aren't opposed to the idea.

"The mentality of it makes sense to me. It's no different than a plain-clothes police officer or an unmarked police car doing a radar. I think if you're an honest operator, then you have nothing to worry about," says Midland Mayor Bill Gordon.

Midland currently does not have any regulatory bylaws for short-term rentals. However, Gordon says that could change, and implementing a municipal accommodation tax would be first on the list.

"Right now, our hotel operators collect that exclusively, and the many short-term rentals don't. And really, it's a team effort. We really need all the people operating overnight stays in town to collect the municipal accommodation tax, which benefits tourism," says Gordon.

The Midland mayor says they will look to neighbouring townships over the next few months before deciding whether to establish a new framework.