VRMA Administrator
Hamilton, Ontario, will impose limits on owners of AirBnb properties to protect its rental housing market and eliminate so-called “party houses.” City councillors voted at a planning committee meeting to amend a bylaw limiting short-term rentals (STRs) to a property owner's principal residence, and elected to place a cap with no one rental going for more than 28 consecutive nights. However, the committee killed a proposed 120-day annual cap, giving latitude to STRs of secondary suites, including basement and laneway suites. Approximately 900 STR units currently operate in Hamilton with most located downtown, based on information collected pre-COVID-19. About 600 units were reportedly unoccupied in early 2022, with some entire dwellings being rented out for use on platforms like Airbnb. The council must ratify the planning committee's decision by Jan. 25, while city staff calculate that administering the STR licensing program will cost about $286,000 annually.
Global News (01/17/23) Don Mitchell
