According to municipal staff, the Township of Lake of Bays has 285 short-term rental listings, and 223 have been licensed.
Staff noted that in the last quarter of 2025, 14 Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMPs) were issued during the winter months when bylaw enforcement is generally quieter.
“We still have a ways to go before all the STRs are in compliance,” said Taeke Peereboom, Township Director of Building & By-law Services at the February 10 council meeting. Peereboom also noted that there are some duplications in the system, and staff would continue to go after the STRs every quarter to get compliance.
Lake of Bays Councillor Rick Brooks suggested that, given the number of STRs is approaching the 300 mark, putting a limit on short-term rentals might be advisable in the near future.
“That’s an issue not for today, but it is something that I think we need to seriously look at,” said Brooks.
Lake of Bays Mayor Terry Glover said he did not have concerns at this time. “Unless… anyone else wants staff to start to look into that, I would let it ride because at this point in time we’re well handling it. I don’t see a problem with it at this point. People want to have STRs… so to limit it is a big step…”
Councillor Mike Peppard said the concern involves communities such as Huntsville and Bracebridge where long-term housing is being taken up by short-term rentals. “In locations where housing is being taken up by STRs, such as Huntsville, Bracebridge, they’re being more aggressive about putting a cap on, and until we see that happening in here, we just maybe monitor,” said Peppard.
“Until we see something in this area? I think we’re already seeing something in this area,” responded Brooks. “We have some developments that we thought were going to be housing and they’re just short-term rentals and every time you create a new development and councillor Peppard is correct there is a couple of new developments in the Town to our west, which they thought were going to be housing and they’re like 85 per cent short-term rentals, so that’s not really helping our housing crisis, so we need to be proactive.”
Glover responded: “Right. Well, I don’t know that you want to give any staff direction at this point based on that.”
Council received the report regarding the fourth quarter of 2025 and STRs, but did not provide staff with further direction.
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Houses are built to be occupied. Is this a concern with the pinlic or more lrgislation due to a lack of trust on the part of council.