Vaughan licences short-term rentals

Municipalinfonet.com
January 7, 2020

Tourism is an important economic driver for Vaughan. As a leading tourist destination, the City attracts thousands of visitors each year who contribute to the local economy and help small businesses thrive. Effective Jan. 1, 2020, short-term rentals are allowed in residential homes in Vaughan - that is the homeowners primary residence - provided that a licence is obtained.

The City undertook an extensive review of the impacts of short-term rentals, including the commonly reported challenges, opportunities, benefits and best practices. Feedback from the community was received through a public consultation process which took place from November 2018 to March 2019 and incorporated into the new Short-term Rental Licensing By-law 158-2019.

All short-term rental owners and brokerages, such as Airbnb, must apply for a licence and renew it annually. Applications can now be submitted to the City of Vaughan in-person at the By-law and Compliance, Licensing and Permit Services counter at City Hall.

To obtain a licence, owners must follow these steps:

Step 1: Register for a Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) number. All short-term rental owners and brokerages require a MAT number.

Step 2: Fill out the short-term rental licence application form, available at vaughan.ca/ShortTermRentals and at the By-law and Compliance, Licensing and Permit Services counter located on the first level at Vaughan City Hall. The counter is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., except for statutory holidays.

Step 3: Submit the application form with the necessary documents and the licensing fee to the By-law and Compliance, Licensing and Permit Services counter at Vaughan City Hall.

Step 4: Once a short-term rental owner has their licence, they must:

• display the licence in a place visible from, or as near as possible to, the main entrance of the short-term rental.
• notify the City of Vaughan, in writing, within seven days of any change to the information provided in the application to obtain or renew a licence.
• ensure the home complies, at all times, with the Ontario Building Code and Ontario Fire Code, including maximum occupancy.
• show the amount of the MAT as a separate item or charge on the bill for each stay - this applies to owners that operate their short-term rental independently from a brokerage.
• collect and remit the MAT to the City of Vaughan.
• renew the licence annually as long as the short-term rental is in operation.

To learn more, visit vaughan.ca/ShortTermRentals.