Belleville city council received an update on the Short Term Accommodation (STA) by-law, including receiving information on data mining,
enforcement, and the number of STA licences issued.
In a report to council by Director of Corporate Services, Matt McDonald, it states that over a three-year period, 38 STA licences were issued, including 16 in 2022, 19 in 2023 and four so far in 2024.
McDonald told council that staff had been looking for a service to data-mine how many STAs have not been licensed in the area.
He says, however, it has proven to be incredibly difficult.
“We finally engaged someone,” McDonald told council.
“They’ll be starting shortly. During the display of their tool while it was live, we’re in the neighbourhood of probably 160 to 180 (STAs not licensed). Their tool is the one being used by Brighton, Quinte West … so it is being widely used, and it’s pretty accurate.”
In his report, McDonald outlined the full extent of the service:
- Ongoing monitoring of all listings in the city
- Updating listing activity and details on a regular basis
- Screenshot activity of every active listing
- Deduplication of listings into unique rental units
- Activity dashboard and map to monitor trends and breakdown of compliance
It was also noted that some STAs were denied a licence including not meeting the minimum distance separation requirement (100 metres), building code violations, Ontario Fire Code violations and other violations under the by-law.
The following fees are applicable for STA operators:
- New application – $1,000
- Renewal application – $300
Total revenue collected by registered STAs to date is $51,800, while the total Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) collected to date is $35,250.
Those looking to submit an application to receive an STA licence can find a link at the City of Belleville’s website.
