Photo of Councillors Agarwal, Bentz, Pasqualino, Ch'ng and Zussino - Acadia File Photo

City council has supported a request to the Ontario government in hopes of a regulatory framework being developed for short-term rental digital platforms such as Airbnb and VRBO.

Decreased housing availability, displacement of locals, noise and disruption, loss of community identity, safety concerns, commercialization of residential areas, and inadequate regulation and taxation were the main concerns provided in the request.

The request would like to see:

• Residents using the digital platforms be required to comply with municipal planning
• Licensing regulations be put in place to prevent advertising of properties that are not registered with the relevant municipality
• Contact with the platforms to ensure ongoing and effective communications for provincial and municipal officials,
• and that the city calls upon the province to work with municipalities to address situations in which long-term housing stock has been lost to corporate ownership of short-term rental properties.

A copy of the request has been forwarded to Premier Doug Ford, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Paul Calandra, MPP Lise Vaugeois and MPP Kevin Holland, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, the Northern Ontario Municipal Association and all municipalities in Ontario.