Ottawa looks to licence Airbnb, other short-term rentals
Posted Nov 15, 2019 11:16:00 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A city hall committee will begin hearing from residents and the short-term rental industry as it starts the process to licence people who rent rooms and homes online, on platforms like Airbnb.
The city looks to crack down on party houses — like one where two people were wounded in a shooting, last month — and so-called 'ghost hotels.'
“Someone who would have multiple properties, or it would not be their place of primary residence, would not be allowed (to have a short-term rental),” said Councillor Mathieu Fleury, Rideau-Vanier ward.
The proposed regulations aim to address residents' concerns about party houses, like one in Nepean where two people were wounded in a shooting, last month.
The proposed rules would include a licencing system for short-term rentals, similar to how it responded to ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft. Short-term rentals would be limited to the host's primary residence.
“You care where you live, so you're a little more careful,” Fleury told 1310 NEWS. “We have felt the negative impact of the ghost hotels.”
The city's proposal would also address concerns from the hotel industry, which has accused people who own multiple units for the sole purpose of renting them out on platforms like Airbnb of reaping the benefits without paying their fair share.
The proposed rules go before the city's Community and Protective Services committee, Friday morning.
