NEW rules proposed for Airbnb / Short-Term Rentals (STR) in Oshawa. The previous Council initiated the process and city staff have been working on formulating regulations and satisfactory licensing enforcement for Short-term rentals (aka Airbnb) in Oshawa. A Report on this now is among the many various matters on Mon, May 25 Oshawa electronic Council meeting's Agenda.
Any Oshawa residents interested in informing Council of their views regarding the Report and wishing to have a letter added to the Monday meeting Agenda, can email to [email protected] up to two hours before the start of the 9:30 am electronic meeting, as per the new emergency procedural rules during the pandemic.
Report CNCL-20-59, if approved by Council will see new regulations for a Short-Term Rental Licensing System involving:
• An annual License for S.T.R. Operators;
• License standards to license Short-Term Rental Operators;
• Limit the # of rooms rented at any time to 2 when
renting by the room; and,
• Limit the room occupancy to no more than 2 people per
room when renting by the room;
• Require applicants to attest to compliance with various rules and standards, including City by-laws and the Fire Code (e.g. having functioning smoke and carbon monoxide
alarms) as part of the application process;
• Require S.T.R. Operators to supply the City and renters with information for a local contact available to respond to issues at all times within a period of no greater than one (1) hour from the time of contact by telephone or email while the S.T.R. is in operation;
• Undertake property and record inspections in response to complaints and on an audit-basis;
• Introducing a Visitor’s Code to educate guests about City by-laws and renter responsibilities;
• Require S.T.R. Operators to share operating data with the City (e.g. the number of nights rented in the previous year).
A link to the Report CNCL-20-59 is here: http://app.oshawa.ca/agendas/city_council/2020/05-25/REPORT_CNCL-20-59.pdf
Some may approve of the proposed regulations and licensing as they find the party houses devastating to their neighbourhood, others may disapprove, thinking it unnecessary and overreach. Reminder: Ontario temporarily banned Airbnb and short term rentals early April 2020 as a public health measure to stop the spread of COVID-19. There are some cities that have completely banned short-term rentals and given the crimes of human trafficking and murders that short-term rentals have been involved in, it has been a growing safety concern, covered in the media a lot before the pandemic. There are now numerous Ontario municipalities that have initiated licenses. Here's a link to some international destinations and the policies these cities have instituted:
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/083115/top-cities-where-airbnb-legal-or-illegal.asp
Any Oshawa residents interested in informing Council of their views regarding the Report and wishing to have a letter added to the Monday meeting Agenda, can email to [email protected] up to two hours before the start of the 9:30 am electronic meeting, as per the new emergency procedural rules during the pandemic.
Report CNCL-20-59, if approved by Council will see new regulations for a Short-Term Rental Licensing System involving:
• An annual License for S.T.R. Operators;
• License standards to license Short-Term Rental Operators;
• Limit the # of rooms rented at any time to 2 when
renting by the room; and,
• Limit the room occupancy to no more than 2 people per
room when renting by the room;
• Require applicants to attest to compliance with various rules and standards, including City by-laws and the Fire Code (e.g. having functioning smoke and carbon monoxide
alarms) as part of the application process;
• Require S.T.R. Operators to supply the City and renters with information for a local contact available to respond to issues at all times within a period of no greater than one (1) hour from the time of contact by telephone or email while the S.T.R. is in operation;
• Undertake property and record inspections in response to complaints and on an audit-basis;
• Introducing a Visitor’s Code to educate guests about City by-laws and renter responsibilities;
• Require S.T.R. Operators to share operating data with the City (e.g. the number of nights rented in the previous year).
A link to the Report CNCL-20-59 is here: http://app.oshawa.ca/agendas/city_council/2020/05-25/REPORT_CNCL-20-59.pdf
Some may approve of the proposed regulations and licensing as they find the party houses devastating to their neighbourhood, others may disapprove, thinking it unnecessary and overreach. Reminder: Ontario temporarily banned Airbnb and short term rentals early April 2020 as a public health measure to stop the spread of COVID-19. There are some cities that have completely banned short-term rentals and given the crimes of human trafficking and murders that short-term rentals have been involved in, it has been a growing safety concern, covered in the media a lot before the pandemic. There are now numerous Ontario municipalities that have initiated licenses. Here's a link to some international destinations and the policies these cities have instituted:
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/083115/top-cities-where-airbnb-legal-or-illegal.asp