Prince Edward County opens up licence applications for short term rental properties

Starting Monday, Prince Edward County is requiring a portion of short-term rental operators, like those who run Airbnbs in the county — to licence their rentals properties.

For now, the county is asking those who have opened a short-term rental operation before Oct. 9, 2018 — the date the county’s short term accommodation bylaw was enacted — to apply for a licence with the county.

Those who started their short term rentals after Oct. 9, 2019 will be asked to apply for a licence starting Jan. 6, 2020.

In order to be licenced, the owners of the rental property will have to abide by a new set of rules, and be subject to inspections by the county in their first year of operation.

As part of the new rules, applicants will have to provide the county with proof of insurance, a floor plan of the building and a site plan of the property. The building will also be held to certain fire and safety codes delineated by the county.

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The bylaw also puts a cap on the number of short-term accommodation units in any given space to 15 per cent of the existing units in the neighbourhood.

Although no one from the county was available to comment on Monday, the county’s website says the municipality chose to licence short-term accommodations to “create a level playing field for all STA operators and enhance consumer protection.”

The county says they heard several complaints from residents concerning a sudden influx of rental units through websites like Airbnb, such as noise, parking and garbage complaints, fire and safety issues, the loss of community in their neighbourhoods and an effect on affordable housing in the county.

If granted, short-term accommodation licences will cost those renting out units in their primary home $200 per room in their first year, and $100 the following years.

For those renting out entire homes, licences cost $325 per room for the first year, and just over $160 per room the following years.

The county says money from this licensing program will be funneled back into the municipality’s short-term accommodation licensing program, and will not be used for other county projects.

Airbnb did not provide comment in time for publication.

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