With an estimated 300 Airbnbs, cottage rentals and other short-term rentals currently operating in Bracebridge, and more likely on the way, council considered a moratorium on the properties during their latest council meeting.
Bracebridge is currently in the midst of developing new rules and bylaws to govern short-term rentals but Coun. Don Smith argued those rules and bylaws could potentially take years before they go into effect.
During the latest Bracebridge Town council meeting, Smith proposed staff take a look at the feasibility of implementing a moratorium on short-term rentals.
He said there are considerable concerns in the community with short-term rentals and their growth has exploded locally in the past several years. With the potential for many of the existing uses of short-term rentals being grandfathering in under new rules, Smith said the Town needs to consider taking action.
“We need to slow them down until the regulations are in place or we may have many hundreds more in town,” he said.
Coun. Archie Buie agreed, saying many municipalities in Muskoka already have short-term rental rules on the books, and Bracebridge is lagging behind.
“I think it’s a wise motion that gives us a chance to see if we can deal with this quickly,” said Buie.
Other councillors had some serious concerns about staff’s ability to create such a report, considering the myriad other issues they’re facing as they head into 2022.
Town CAO Stephen Rettie pointed out that council just approved a business plan for the upcoming year and a request of this magnitude would require considerable reshuffling of priorities.
“We’re going to dig into this if we do it. It will be months of work,” said Rettie. “The department is overrun…and we proposed a business plan for you that you accepted.”
In the spirit of compromise, councillors decided to speak privately with staff to get more information without the need to create a formal report.
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Perhaps we are missing the bigger point here.
We happen to live in a relatively nice area in close proximity to a huge urban area where the richest of Canada’s rich happen to live.
The buying habits of this group has already pushed the real estate values of a building in our area beyond every conceived of expectation. A waterfront home is now an unrealistic dream for any “ordinary working person” in Muskoka unless they inherited it, are the recipient of the legacy of rich parents, or won a lottery.
Builders now are busy filling in the last few “unbuildable” lots on the lakes. The lots that nobody ever expected any fool to try to build on but we failed to figure on “any fool” with some rock drilling equipment and dynamite and a truck load of cash.
In an effort to protect their memories of vacation’s past these cottage owners have elected and supported zoning rules to limit development (for now) as much as possible. This may actually work to our collective advantage but probably only if you already are lucky enough to own waterfront already.
Add to this the addiction of local municipalities to the taxes generated by completely over the top “cottages” and the fact that greed tends to drive capitalism to a large extent and you have the situation we are entering now.
When the percentage of short term rentals starts to push up toward 80% (as it has in some USA resort areas) it has been noted that (probably not unsurprisingly) there are no volunteers for much of anything in a community any more. No firemen, no clubs like Lions or Rotary, and others. Why would there be? If you are visit for a few days or a week, you are not going to do any of the traditional community things that historically have made up the basis for that community. These people are not vested in anything local.
The bottom end of pay scale staff that do the actual cleaning and waiting and clerking will have to drive in from some bush lot, city or whatever they can find to do the necessary work. Some local businesses already run buses from Barrie on a daily basis to get workers they need. Others just curtail their offerings to what they can manage with essentially unpaid family doing the work and I have yet to see any government official get upset that family, kids and all, work for far less than any minimum wage in many small service businesses. They only get involved with the visible tip of the labor iceberg.
You gradually lose your community is the problem we shall face and nobody seems to be talking about this. We need to consider this and find a good long term working solution and I’m afraid a little bit more money grabbing by a local council with another fee for some permit is not the solution we need.
I own and operate Jayne’s Luxury Rentals. I fully support the need that we need more affordable housing in Muskoka. Short term rentals should not be allowed where there is a housing shortage. The housing shortage results in a labour shortage which is a big issue all businesses in this region have to deal with. It would be great if there was a way to separate the properties that are more ‘vacation’ rentals such as waterfront properties from those that are non-waterfront where these properties true purpose is for long term housing.
To be clear, as long as all was legal, would you want $300/night over $50/night for your property? Airbnb is taxable money with the added cost of cleaning often, stocking with amenities and higher insurance.
It’s Canada, a democracy and I believe property owners should be able to profit as much as they legally can. It is not the responsibility of these investors to provide affordable housing. That belongs To the community tax payer.
We need to stop all these anbs and short term rentals. As its the reason for no one being able to find any places to live for people that working here in Bracebridge and all other Muskoka towns.Then maybe we can get back to long term rental. Also look at the money the towns are losing because most are all cash deals for the arbs and short rentals.Some are going for $300.00 or more a night.