Centre Hastings won’t be initiating a short-term rental licensing program at this time citing the cost and liability potential as too much.
At its meeting on Wednesday, council agreed with a staff recommendation against implementing such a program at this time.
Centre Hastings Mayor Tom Deline says staff research indicated that such a program would require dedicated staff and an annual budget which is a significant expense for a small community.
There have been relatively few complaints about short-term rentals in Centre Hastings and a public survey indicated that 61% of respondents said they were not disrupted by short-term rentals.
With the low rate of disruption, it’s believed any issues can be addressed through the municipal complaint process of the OPP.
When it comes to liability, staff felt it was not worth the risk, as implementing a licensing program requires a municipality to review applications and inspect properties, exposing it to lawsuits if issues arise.
Deline tells Quinte News that council feels there should be provincial legislation so that all municipalities are regulated by the same rules instead of each community adopting their own plan.
