A report headed for Bracebridge general committee tomorrow morning will recommend a number of changes to the Town’s Short-Term Rental Accommodation (STRA) process. A consultant hired by the town recommends laying out a maximum number of licenses to be issued, setting out clear eligibility criteria and undertaking a study to determine the feasibility of a transient accommodation tax to be laid not only on STRAs but also on hotels motels and bed and breakfasts.
Last year the town hired consultants at WSP Canada Inc. to take a closer look at the growing issue of STRAs and develop a program for their regulation.
According to a Town report, WSP recommends that the existing STRA Licensing By-law be replaced with a much more comprehensive licensing by-law. Their recommendation includes the addition of several elements, including eligibility criteria, licensee acknowledgements, occupancy standards and a maximum number of licences to be issued.
Their recommendations also provide land-use considerations, including only permitting STRAs in single detached dwellings and where human habitation is appropriate, requiring proper legal access, provision of adequate parking and water/wastewater services. Their recommendations would also allow STRAs to be permitted in all residential zones, subject to certain requirements, limitations and restrictions.
Finally, WSP recommends the Town undertake a study to determine the feasibility of implementing a Transient Accommodation Tax to be applied to STRAs, as well as traditional forms of overnight accommodation, such as hotels, motels and Bed & Breakfasts.
Data collected from March 2022 to March 2023 show that Bracebridge By-Law Enforcement received 11 calls for service to STRAs, representing 3% of the total calls for service during that time. Immediate voluntary compliance was met by nine respondents. Two calls for service were identified as repeat offences, which received an offence notice or order. The majority of the calls were for noise violations, open-air burning and illegal operation.
For 2022, from when the By-law was passed until the end of the year, 47 applications were submitted and 38 were approved. For 2023, from the start of the year to the end of March, 37 applications have been submitted and 32 have been approved. The five remaining are pending.
Town staff have reviewed short-term rental booking sites for available STRAs in Bracebridge and were able to identify an average of 62 STRAs available for anywhere from a 1-day rental to a 28-day rental in Bracebridge during a given month.
Despite the recommendations, Bracebridge CAO Stephen Rettie says in the report to council that they are recommending council not go ahead with the changes right now.
“There is insufficient evidence to recommend dedicating the significant time and resources required to implement WSP’s recommendations at this time,” says Rettie in the report. “Although WSP has recommended that a more restrictive Licensing By-law be implemented, the licensing activity and calls for service do not clearly indicate that this course of action is an efficient use of municipal resources.”
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