Regulations for short-term rental properties could be on the way in Windsor, Ont.
Ward 2 Councillor Fabio Costante requested a report last year after a ward meeting that saw residents complain about Airbnb rentals. Council will now decide if administration will draft a by-law based on the report at Monday night's meeting.
Costante says the report was delayed while administration awaited the outcome of a challenge to Toronto's by-law — that challenge failed — opening the door for Windsor, Ont. to adopt the same policy.
"It basically stipulates that in order for you to rent out a short-term rental, that rental has to be in your principal residence only," says Costante. "You can't just buy up a bunch of properties and rent them out as short-term rentals. You have to actually live in that place."
Costante says forcing the owner to be on site would help Windsor's housing market.
"Investors are purchasing properties and just renting them out as short-term rentals, which limits the amount available housing stock for long-term residents," he says. "I think that's critical and the second piece is developing a standard to ensure that these short-term rentals are adhering to building and fire codes."
Windsor's city council gets underway at 10 a.m.