The Municipality of Northern Bruce are currently seeking opinions on their upcoming regulation of the short-term rental market (https://www.nbpstareview.org/survey). Many genuine cottagers rent out their cottage for part of the year to help pay the bills. This is a practice I support. However, I feel it is important that the upcoming regulations fairly discriminate between genuine cottagers renting out to help pay the cottage bills, and commercial STR operations, buying up multiple units and lots, and developing purpose built STR units, solely for the purpose of generating income.
We have a cottage on Dorcas Bay, one lot over from a massive (3 story, 3500 sq ft, up to 20 guests) problematic, corporate owned, purpose built STR unit. The unit has been poorly managed, with regular noise complaints and fire-ban flouts, and no NBP based manager. Unfortunately, the corporation that own and operate the STR unit are building another similarly sized 3 storey, purpose built STR, mega-cottage next door – under a single-family cottage building permit. The buildings are designed to be as big and tall as they possibly can be (within zone rules), with minimum setbacks, to make as much money as possible by renting to large groups, with no regard for neighbours’, privacy or enjoyment of surrounding properties.
If you are genuinely are renting out part-time to help pay the cottage bills, then surely only 1 STR unit per family is necessary. Ownership of multiple units are commercial enterprises and therefore should be restricted to commercial zones and not allowed on residential land. There are already lots of companies owning multiple STR properties on the Bruce. Even with a licencing fee, the huge potential for revenue makes these properties very attractive for commercial investment. Short term rental units do not have to pay the commercial taxes that motels, hotels, and B&Bs must pay. Commercial investment in STRs force up property prices until the only people that can afford to buy (and want to buy) are commercial STR corporations. Communities and neighbourhoods are at risk of being swallowed up by commercial STR developers. The domino effect is happening right now on Dorcas Bay
If you are worried about the proliferation of massive corporate owned STR rental units turning the Bruce into a giant hotel strip, let the municipality know, in their online STR regulation survey, that a maximum limit of 1 licence per family/corporation is needed.
Dr Philip Harrison,
Dorcas Bay Road/Waterloo
