North Bay considers regulating Airbnb-style rentals
North Bay city council is considering creating a bylaw to regulate the short-term rental industry, which includes Airbnb.
In a report headed to council Tuesday evening, city staff said the purpose of regulating the rentals include reducing conflict with neighbours and ensuring the short-term rental (STR) industry doesn't exacerbate current housing shortages.
One of the issues, the report said, is that such rentals have evolved from people renting their entire house while they were away, to people buying homes specifically to turn them into Airbnb-style rentals full-time.
STRs are popular in the north, with 87 properties in North Bay listed on Airbnb or VRBO, the top rental platforms. That compares to 181 in Greater Sudbury, 65 in the Sault and 33 in Timmins.
"Much of the rapid growth in the STR industry is the result of a shift in business model: from home-sharing to commercial operation," the report said.
"The impact of short-term rentals on housing deserves special attention, given the crisis-level housing pressures being felt in many communities and the status of adequate housing as a fundamental human right."
Another concern is the STR industry doesn't pay the hotel room tax, which raises concerns about whether there is a level playing field in the accommodation industry.
"A select few Ontario municipalities, including Brockville, Barrie, City of Greater Sudbury, Mississauga and Ottawa, have negotiated an agreement with Airbnb to collect and remit these taxes on behalf of guests and operators," the report said.
"For municipalities without agreements with platforms to collect and remit this tax, compliance rates have been low."
North Bay can learn from other communities that have passed STR bylaws, the report said, and should prioritize such things as minimizing conflicts between residents of a neighbourhood and people in a STR and finding a balance between accommodating the tourism industry and ensuring affordable housing.
The report said the city can either do nothing and allow STRs to continue unregulated, or direct staff to come up with a bylaw defining STRs, restricting them to certain zones and creating a licensing bylaw.
"This option should include public consultation to obtain feedback on the issues, concerns and opportunities for short-term rental regulations," the report said.
Read the full report here.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israeli forces seize Rafah border crossing in Gaza, putting ceasefire talks on knife's edge
Israeli tanks seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing on Tuesday as Israel brushed off urgent warnings from close allies and moved into the southern city even as ceasefire negotiations with Hamas remained on a knife’s edge.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
Have you been removed from your family doctor’s patient list for visiting an Ontario walk-in clinic?
Some Ontarians are expressing frustration after they said that they were removed from their family doctor’s patient list for visiting a walk-in clinic in a process being called “de-rostering.”
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Canadian government proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.