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The City of Ottawa wants to limit Airbnb property rentals and other short-term rentals to primary residences. A restriction that has already been imposed in Toronto and quickly challenged.
The draft regulations, contained in a report published online on Tuesday, require that any person wishing to rent accommodation through the Airbnb platform – or a similar platform – must be a “natural person” who can provide proof that this is their primary residence and not an investment property. A rental agreement or a notarial deed can serve as proof.
Tenants should also apply for a short-term rental permit for $100. In the event of inappropriate behavior, this can be subsequently revoked.
City staff also recommend creating a special unit responsible for enforcing the bylaw.
Homeowners associations and property owners could remove properties from the city register.
“Unnecessarily expensive”
Landlords would only be allowed to rent out one unit at a time, but cabins or vacation homes outside the city limits would be exempt from this rule.
Hotels, motels and bed and breakfasts that use short-term rental platforms would also be exempt from the primary residence rule.
Alexandra Dagg, director of public policy at Airbnb Canada, warned against the rule in a statement would reduce the number of accommodations available and impose unnecessarily high standards on hosts.
These recommendations will result in sanctions against the thousands of hosts in Ottawa who use Airbnb to help their families
She added.
When the City of Toronto introduced similar restrictions on short-term rentals, the matter went to the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal. The appeal led to months of hearings and no date has been set for a decision.
Under Ottawa's proposed rules, a permit could be revoked if there is evidence of criminal activity, unpaid payments or fines, a serious incident that endangers the safety or health of the public blatant or repeated public harassment
.
A recent shooting at an Airbnb rental in the Nepean neighborhood has raised concerns about the safety of short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods.
With reporting from CBC's Matthew Kupfer
Total web buff. Student. Tv enthusiast. Evil thinker. Travelaholic. Proud bacon guru.
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