At its meeting on Sept. 11, 2023, Orillia Council approved a new by-law to regulate short-term rental accommodations that will come into effect on Jan. 1, 2024.
“Orillia Council has approved regulations for short-term rental accommodations that are meant to strike a balance between supporting our local tourism industry while ensuring responsible hosting, safe accommodations and the livability of our neighbourhoods,” said Mayor Don McIsaac. “We heard from residents that short-term rentals were becoming an issue in Orillia, and I believe that this is an appropriate solution.”
Chapter 730 of the City of Orillia Municipal Code – Short-Term Rental Accommodations establishes standards and requirements for short-term rental accommodations to ensure the safety and well-being of both guests and surrounding residents. This includes measures such as fire safety regulations, noise control and adequate insurance coverage.
Under the new by-law, all short-term rental operators are required to obtain an annual licence from the City. This will enable the municipality to monitor and manage the short-term rental market in Orillia with a cap of 150 operating short-term rental accommodations at one time. The licensing will help ensure compliance with regulations and establish a clear process for addressing issues and complaints using a demerit point system to assist with enforcement. Residents will be able to report concerns to the City, which will investigate and take appropriate action in response to non-compliance with the regulations.
The annual licence fee will be $2,000 and is anticipated to fund the cost to administer and enforce the program. Under the new by-law, short-term rental accommodation providers will be required to collect Municipal Accommodation Tax, which will bring in further funding to promote the local tourism industry.
As part of the approval on Sept. 11, 2023, Council adopted the new by-law effective Jan. 1, 2024 and approved funding for compliance monitoring software and hiring a full-time staff member to begin in October 2023 to build and administer the program and to enforce the new by-law once in effect.
“Staff reviewed short-term rental accommodation regulations at numerous municipalities to learn what has worked best to help build our approach for implementation in Orillia,” said Shawn Crawford, Director of Legislative, Building, Parking and Transit Services. “Once we have the appropriate staff member hired later this year, the City will be reaching out to short-term rental accommodation operators in Orillia to raise awareness about the regulations and requirement for licensing beginning in 2024.”
Until the new by-law comes into effect, the City’s Municipal Law Enforcement Officers as well as the Ontario Provincial Police will continue to enforce the by-laws currently in place that regulate various issues related to short-term rental accommodations such as noise, dogs at large, parking, garbage accumulation, and open-air burning.
For more information regarding short-term rental accommodation regulations in Orillia, please visit orillia.ca/ShortTermRentals.
