Submitted by Hazel Smith
The Spark Housing Initiative of The Meeting Place Tobermory has undertaken further investigation into the potential for increasing long-term rental housing in the community. This second phase of the housing project explores possible incentives that might motivate landlords to enter the long-term rental market. With a deeper understanding of the positive influence, The Meeting Place hopes to launch a long-term landlord recruitment campaign.
The summary report just released by The Meeting Place states that, “at the moment we are largely dependent on individuals or businesses to provide housing to non-home owners who wish to live and work in our community. In conditions where there is strong potential for short-term vacation rentals, owners of surplus housing stock often need to have persuasive reasons for choosing the long-term rental option.” It goes on to note that the, “provision of adequate long-term rentals has not happened organically” suggesting that there needs to be intervention in the housing marketplace for things to change.
Recruiting Long-Term Landlords
Two landlord round table conversations were hosted in November of 2021 in both Tobermory and Lion’s Head and interviews were conducted with five long-term tenants living in the Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula. All questions were framed with the end goal of this phase of initiative in mind, namely, how to win over those with housing stock surplus to their own needs to become long-term landlords
The key points to emerge that could form the basis of a long-term landlord recruitment campaign included the benefits of a stable and growing population to retain and increase services and infrastructure, as well as a healthy social life. It was also agreed that long-term rentals are beneficial for creating a pathway for new community members to transition into long-term community members.
Long-term renting also has the benefit of providing a stable, dependable income. With careful selection and vetting, long-term renters can also improve the quality of life of their landlords as they double as caretakers, friends and security providers.
It was recognized that the community also needs a dependable work force and if people can’t find secure, decent accommodation they will not come here to work. Or if they come, they will not be able to settle. This is the current reality when recruiting PSWs at Golden Dawn, grocery store clerks, municipal staff, as well as for those who sort our mail, pump our gas, and serve our coffee.
The report notes that the feasibility of becoming a long-term landlord could be actively encouraged with grants or loans to home-owners for conversions and a legislative environment that promotes the creation of secondary units such as “granny flats” or “garden suites”.
The discussions highlighted the informal nature of tenant vetting in our small rural community and it was suggested that there might be benefits in formalizing the process. One idea that garnered a good deal of interest was the possibility of a third party service provider, not unlike AirB&B or Rentcottage.com, but one that services the long-term rental market. Such an entity might offer vetting support, rent collection and payment services, as well as mediation in the event of difficulties.
Recommendations for Further Action
The Phase Two Report makes three recommendations for further action, “if we are serious about addressing the housing shortfall”. Firstly, “the Municipality of the Northern Bruce Peninsula and Bruce County Housing need to play a vigorous leadership role and to energetically pursue a planning, budgetary, and policy environment that supports private long-term rentals.”
Secondly, that The Meeting Place should conduct “research with local housing property managers and rental platforms (eg. Rentcottage.com) who currently serve the STA market” to see if “there is scope to develop a similar entity that will support long term landlords and renters.”
The third and final recommendation is to begin a small scale long-term landlord recruitment campaign “to identify up to four landlord champions” to participate in a one year study of the long term rental experience, involving both tenant and landlord, in order “to understand how to best inform and implement the long term rental management service”.
The report has been furnished to the Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula Housing Committee and to the consultants who are currently conducting a housing needs assessment.
Phase two of the investigation into long-term rental housing was made possible by a grant from the Community Foundation of Grey Bruce. The full report is available at www.tobermorymeetingplace.com.
For more information or discussion contact Noreen Steinacher, The Meeting Place Tobermory, 519-596-2313 or e-mail info@tobermorymeetingplace.com
