LaSalle council will be presented Tuesday night a report on how short-term rentals could be regulated in the town.
The town's hired planning consultants, WSP Canada, recommend creating clear rules in the official plan and zoning by-law, including defining what counts as a short-term rental, limiting them to one per property, and requiring parking, safety checks, and compliance with fire and building codes.
The report also calls for a full licensing system with fees, inspections, and enforcement tools.
Mayor Crystal Meloche said as the town has realized the need for a licensing program as the municipality grows.
"As we see more and more people listing their properties on AirBnB or VRBO, or any of the other ones, we need to make sure that there's some rules around it so that we are able to protect the residents who currently live in those neighbourhoods," she said.
The town says launching a program will require more staff, but Meloche said it wouldn't come forward until the 2027 budget.
"Anytime we're looking at something like that it's usually best to put it towards a budget session to determine if we need to add an additional staff member, what it's going to cost the municipality, does it make sense? I think part of that is just to understand where we look at it in the big picture of things," she said.
Council is being asked to approve the recommended framework so staff can schedule a public meeting.
Meloche said residents would be able to weigh in before any zoning changes are finalized.
"When we started this it was the beginning saying what do you think? Do you want to see us have a licensing program? And so now that they've done their research and they've heard from our residents, they've heard from council, they're going to come back with some ideas of what they think might fit our community the best," she said.
LaSalle council meets Tuesday at 6 p.m.