Vaughan council position on short-term rentals to be discussed Oct. 2

Citing data from Airbnb, Statistics Canada estimates 400 households in the city are likely short-term rental hosts at any given time

Yorkregion.com
Sept. 30, 2019
Dina Al-Shibeeb

Despite a “series of consultations” across its five wards that began last year and a recent public hearing on Sept. 17, Vaughan will continue to “receive input” to make its final decision on amending its short-term rentals bylaw.

The City of Vaughan told the Vaughan Citizen in an email that short-term rentals will be “discussed at the council meeting on Oct. 2,” and that “any issues be addressed in a future report to the committee of the whole.”

So far, Vaughan will be receiving input from both the public and the committee of the whole on the changes.

Some of the proposed amendments to Bylaw 1-88, which regulates short-term rentals, include changing the definition of what a short-term rental means by making it any 29 consecutive nights or less “in exchange for payment but doesn’t include bed-and-breakfasts, as defined in the short-term rentals bylaw or its successor bylaw.”

It's also proposed that the definition of a bed and breakfast establishment be amended “to mean an establishment within a part of a single-family detached dwelling that provides sleeping accommodations for guests and may include meals, services, facilities and amenities for the exclusive use of guests, but excludes a hotel, motel, or short-term rental.”

The proposal is to limit the number of short-term rentals to one rental booking per dwelling unit at any given time and “any other consequential requirement as prescribed by amending bylaw.”

Citing some data from Airbnb, Statistics Canada estimated in 2016 that an estimated 400 households out of a total of 94,217 households in Vaughan are likely short-term rental hosts at any given time.

Of the 830 respondents to telephone and online surveys from the city, 473 said short-term rentals are not an issue in Vaughan, while 581 others believe the practice should be regulated.