Prince Edward County is making moves to control the number of short term accommodations in the future.
At Thursday’s Committee of the Whole, several councillors felt a staff report presenting some possible improvements to the STA Licensing by-law did not go far enough.
Councillor Kate MacNaughton immediately presented an amendment that would restrict future whole home STAs, with some exceptions, and prevent numbered companies from obtaining future STA licences.
Staff will also look at options that will allow homeowners to use their residences as an STA for a certain number of days per year.
The amended motion was easily passed with Councillor John Hirsch noting it will have no impact on current STA licence holders.
“And it’s intended to make some exemptions for the cottage industry which we didn’t really have in place before. It’s intended to make an exemption for folks who want to just maybe rent out their home for a couple weeks a year when they’re away and we didn’t have that capability before. But, in essence, it will be capping future whole home STA creation.”
Councillor MacNaughton stressed that there was never an intention to cut down on the number of current STAs despite opinions from some in the County who feel they are contributing to affordable housing and long term rental issues.
During the meeting, council heard from Davelle Morrison, president of the Licenced Short Term Accommodators of Prince Edward County who told council reducing the current number of STAs will not fix the housing issues.
“Many of them have properties that are just not winterized for long term rentals. And, after the cost of mortgage, property taxes, the rent that they would have to charge would be highly unaffordable. But the biggest reason that many STA owners won’t do long term rentals is because they’ve been burned before by tenants who damage their property or refuse to pay rent for months on end.”
Morrison says landlords are not protected under the Tenants Act the way STA owners are under organizations like Airbnb.
With a lack of hotels in Prince Edward County, she also noted that without STAs, the region will become a daytripper’s paradise and many restaurants and other businesses will suffer.
Staff will present new options to council in May to be followed by public consultation before any final changes are made to the STA Licensing by-law.
