The Municipality of Bluewater is nearing the implementation of short-term rental legislation, and many property owners will be affected by the change.
The proposed by-law applies to any property rented out on a short term basis and will see licensing fees applied as well as fines and a demerit system for repeat violations.
Manager of Development Services Aaron Stewardson says that the legislation came about as a result of complaints from members of the public,
The by-law is rolling out in a staggered manner, with the first deadline to apply hitting Bayfield on July 4th, followed by Hay West on July 25th, with all following properties in Bluewater due for a license by August 15th.
The licenses will be issued on an annual basis for $750.00 – which Stewardson says will cover the administrative costs of implementing them.
There are several violations that can earn property owners demerits under the system, which could see their license revoked, says Stewardson
The requirement of a responsible person who can be accessible within 30 minutes for every rental property ensures that someone is held accountable for violations.
Demerits can be issued for violations of several by-laws that ensure the safety of occupants, whether that’s setting maximum occupancy, ensuring that a residence has proper fire exits and parking, or even violating restrictions on open air burns during fire bans.
Fines for non-compliance of the licensing system are currently set at $900, and can be issued to property owners as frequently as daily.
In addition, the by-law will see limits imposed on the number of short term rentals present on a street, prohibiting new rentals from being placed next to existing rental properties, and ensuring that no more than 15% of residences are being used for that purpose.
Stewardson says that while it’s important to reduce density of short term rentals in some areas, council has maintained that they want to help people that already own rental properties,
The hardest part of legislating this massive change has been to balance the economic impact and safety of residents, says Stewardson,
While tourism is a huge contributor to the local economy, Stewardson says that it’s important to preserve residential spaces for residential purposes, and hopefully, this new by-law is the first step in ensuring the enjoyment of the community for all people.
The final by-law will be reviewed at an upcoming council meeting on June 19, and is expected to be passed at that time.
Written by: B. Shakyaver