Photo by B. Shakyaver
In Monday’s Bluewater Council Meeting, Development Manager Aaron Stewardson unveiled a new refund policy for Short Term Rental (STR) license applications, sparking a lively discussion among council members.
Councilor Whetstone emphasized the intention of these refunds is to encourage applicants to submit for a license.
The refund policy hinges on the idea of cost recovery, tracking back from staff time spent on each application. If a license application is denied, applicants can expect varying refund percentages based on the level of review their application undergoes.
Councilor Lamport raised a valid point about transparency, asking if applicants could be informed about the number of existing rentals in their area before applying.
Stewardson highlighted privacy concerns as a limitation to providing that information but expressed hope for future improvements. At this time, no option exists for applicants to view the current density of their area.
A full license is $750 a year, here’s a breakdown of the refund structure:
- Application Submitted (No review, no by-law enforcement): 90% refund ($675.00)
- Application Reviewed for completeness (high level): 70% refund ($525.00)
- Application Submitted and reviewed (Information missing, no license issued): 40% refund ($300.00)
- Application Fully Reviewed (Full review, no license issued): 20% refund ($150.00)
Councilor Walden agreed with Councilor Whetstone’s point that they hadn’t covered refunds for the seven applications rejected prior to this point.
Ultimately, council agreed to move forward with the outlined refund policy for future applications and to provide full refunds to those who have already applied and been denied.
Written by: B. Shakyaver
