Owen Sound City Hall. (Matt Hermiz/Bayshore Broadcasting)
Owen Sound council still isn’t settled on what the city’s short-term rentals (STR) regulations should look like.
Council passed motions at Monday’s meeting to re-consider a previous decision regarding STRs, and directed staff to bring back another report which would look closer at a maximum number of days per year cap and a principal residence requirement for operators.
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Last month, council endorsed a draft by-law that would have set the framework for a new municipal licensing regime for residences being offered as rentals for 28 days or less. Some of the regulations Owen Sound council approved in September included a 90-day cap on the number of days each year an STR can be rented out, an eight-person limit per stay and restricting STRs only to properties that are a principal residence of an owner.
The plan was to implement the new rules by March 1, 2024.
Now, city councillors have decided they want to take another look at things.
Coun. Travis Dodd sparked a discussion that resulted in council holding off the passage of the STR by-law at Monday’s meeting.
Dodd — who wasn’t at council’s Sept. 25 meeting when several STR recommendations were passed — shared concerns about the proposed 90-day annual cap limiting the number of days a short-term rental unit could be offered, and about the principal residence restriction being applied to all properties, not just in residential neighbourhoods.
“As we heard from a member of the public today, as well as letters and others we’ve received since the passing of that motion last month, I think it’s a general idea that we will see a reduction of users,” Dodd says. ” … In the end, how do we find a balance in maintaining economic development and promoting our businesses and tourism, while protecting our neighbourhoods?”
Resident Karen McRae spoke during question period at Monday’s meeting, saying she was “shocked to find out” council went ahead with regulations that limited STR operators to 90 days of annual rental time, rather than 180 days. She says that would only cover costs of renting out the main floor of her home, and wouldn’t produce any additional income for her to live on.
“Did council consider the possibility that there are some seniors living in-town … in their homes, and they want to rent a portion of it?” McRae asked.
The motions Monday to reconsider passed 7-2. Deputy Mayor Scott Greig and Coun. Melanie Middlebro’ supported the STR by-law as presented, while all others on council were in favour of reconsideration.
Greig says this is about responding to a housing crisis.
“Being able to evaluate ultimately comes down to, can we fix a housing crisis? We hope we can,” Greig explains. “Is this one part of it? I sure hope so. It’s much more environmentally-friendly than holding out hope to construct new houses that to this point have not occurred.”
Coun. Jon Farmer commented on another aspect of the proposed 90-day cap, saying it “has wider implications than I think we’ve been able to talk about.” He described a situation where someone may use an STR to partner with the hospital to provide accommodations for travel or agency nurses, or for other healthcare needs like locum doctors.
“If we’ve waited this long, I think we can wait to do it to best possible quality of a policy that we could create,” Farmer explains. “I share Coun. Dodd’s concerns that the by-law as presented is not in the highest calibre that we can produce. And it doesn’t appropriately balance the various needs of people in this community.”
City staff are expected to bring another STR report to council at its Nov. 20 meeting.