CENTRE WELLINGTON – Council in Centre Wellington voted against maintaining the status quo when it comes to short-term accommodation, or STA’S, and bed and breakfasts within the township.
The township currently has by-laws in place that regulate various issues associated with STA’s such as noise, open-air burning and more.
Staff’s chosen option will lead to a multi-step process including public consultation and an inventory of STA’S.
CAO Dan Wilson says this process will not be an easy one.
Current planning and by-law enforcement records indicate a handful of complaints associated with short term rentals, with most of the complaints being zoning related, namely using an accessory structure or trailer as a place for human habitation which is not permitted under the zoning by-law.
A general list of the key findings and common themes respecting municipalities that license STA’s includes:
- License fees range from $500 to $3000, renewable annually or valid between 2
years or 3 years; - Some municipalities cap the number of STAs permitted to operate, ranging from
150 to 300; - Some municipalities establish a minimum separation distance between STAs,
ranging from 100 metres to 300 metres; - Many have implemented a demerit point system for non-compliance with
applicable regulations and the ability to revoke the license after an accumulation
of a set amount of points; - Almost all required a responsible person to be appointed and available 24/7 to
deal with and respond to complaints in a timely manner; - Most include Renter’s and Licensee Codes of Conduct and/or Neighbour’s
agreements; - Some restrict the Short Term Accommodation to primary residence;
- Incorporate updated official plan policies and zoning regulations along with the
implementation of Municipal Accommodation Tax - Most have added additional administrative and enforcement staff to implement;
- A robust public consultation prior to and throughout the implementation process
is imperative; - Inclusion of Building, Electrical and Fire Code Inspections
Mayor Shawn Watters says the approach from staff needs to be “methodical,” while councillor Jennifer Adams stated this could be a journey that spans beyond the coming year.
One of the concerns of council was an overly high volume of STA’s. CAO Dan Wilson says this can cause issues for other renters.
The report says the exact number of STA’s within Centre Wellington is unknown, however, a review conducted by a vacation rental data analytics company identified approximately 251 listings.
