At the Corporate Services Committee Sept 12, 2022 morning meeting my motion was approved to have in the 1st Q of 2023 a Staff Report reviewing the Short Term Rentals by-law provisions passed by Council in 2020.
(As I am not a voting member of that Committee it was introduced for me by Councillor Nicholson.)
To any Oshawans with complaints about the effectiveness of the bylaw changes and enforcement related AirBnB short term rentals in their neighbourhood — now is the time to make your issues known to City Staff, so they can be included in the staff report expected early in 2023. Email clerks@oshawa.ca and copy kmann@oshawa.ca
Imo the by-law does not have enough teeth for satisfactory enforcement. For instance there has been an ongoing situation for the past several weeks where an illegal AirBnB has been operating, It was a quiet court in Ward one, until the absentee landlord began renting it out and almost every weekend the court has been filled with cars and individuals coming and going...creating noise, with the police being called and removing individuals. Even after Oshawa Municipal Licencing and Enforcement officers reported violations to the owners and the owners indicated they would apply for a Short Term Rental license, nothing seems to have changed. Below is a picture of the AirBnB visitors cars chocking up the Court circle Sunday evening Sept 11, 2022,
Recap of current Short Term Rentals (STR) – which include Air BnB operations - regulations which were passed in 2020
They must be registered and comply with specific rules, processes and changes to the Licensing By-law and Zoning By-laws:
(As I am not a voting member of that Committee it was introduced for me by Councillor Nicholson.)
To any Oshawans with complaints about the effectiveness of the bylaw changes and enforcement related AirBnB short term rentals in their neighbourhood — now is the time to make your issues known to City Staff, so they can be included in the staff report expected early in 2023. Email clerks@oshawa.ca and copy kmann@oshawa.ca
Imo the by-law does not have enough teeth for satisfactory enforcement. For instance there has been an ongoing situation for the past several weeks where an illegal AirBnB has been operating, It was a quiet court in Ward one, until the absentee landlord began renting it out and almost every weekend the court has been filled with cars and individuals coming and going...creating noise, with the police being called and removing individuals. Even after Oshawa Municipal Licencing and Enforcement officers reported violations to the owners and the owners indicated they would apply for a Short Term Rental license, nothing seems to have changed. Below is a picture of the AirBnB visitors cars chocking up the Court circle Sunday evening Sept 11, 2022,
Recap of current Short Term Rentals (STR) – which include Air BnB operations - regulations which were passed in 2020
They must be registered and comply with specific rules, processes and changes to the Licensing By-law and Zoning By-laws:
- STR operators will only be allowed to rent out their principal residence.
- Rents are not to exceed 28 consecutive days and not for more than 180 total days per year.
- Operators must buy proper insurance and provide a local contact available 24/7 who can respond to the property within one hour of being contacted, in case of an emergency.
- A single property cannot be split into more than two rooms and only two people can occupy each room.
- Operators are required to display a new ‘Visitor’s Code’ with information about relevant Oshawa by-laws to guests.
- To report an unregistered STR or to file a complaint about any STR, call 905-436-3311 or email service@oshawa.ca.