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
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.