Foca Friday #2 by Eleanor Young - Tasso Lake

FOCA Fridays No. 2

Short Term Rentals (STR)

So I'll bet this is a loaded topic!

On the one hand, those of us fortunate enough to own or to benefit from cottage time through the generosity of family and friends shouldn't forget that there are many whose only chance for a cottage vacation is through renting. And some owners can only continue to pay their expenses through the revenue that renting generates.

On the other, we've all heard stories of noise, damages, overcrowding, garbage, traffic, etc when guests don't mind their manners.

The advent of online services such as Airbnb has brought new attention to this issue and many municipalities are grappling with it. FOCA's report on STRs came out in November 2022 (foca.on.ca/rental/) and they continue to follow developments closely across Ontario.

Our own Township of Lake of Bays developed an STR licencing program in 2021 (http://lakeofbays.on.ca/.../munic.../short-term-rentals.aspx) and all licensed STRs are listed on the website.

If you have concerns about an STR, such as unauthorized use, noise, violations of occupancy limits or other related issues, you can file a complaint through the Host Compliance Tips portal at the link above, or by calling the Host Compliance Complaint Hotline: (705)996-5123.