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Short Term Rentals

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Short-term rentals in Guelph are active and growing, with listings in online markets that help connect people looking for short-term rentals with people who want to rent or sublet a space. Unlike hotels and bed and breakfasts, these short-term rentals are operating in Guelph without health and safety, zoning and parking guidelines that many businesses with licences are required to have.

Based on direction from Guelph City Council, we're exploring what it might look like to add short-term rentals to our existing Business Licence By-law. In addition to extensive research and conversations with our Short-Term Rentals Working Group, we're seeking feedback from the community, visitors and businesses to make sure we approach short-term rental licensing with the right solutions for Guelph.

Regulations we’re looking to add under a licensing model could include:

  • Fire inspections
  • Public health inspections
  • Mandated insurance with limits
  • Fees for licencing
  • Acceptable locations and building types that could be rented

Public consultation is now closed

We are working with the Short-Term Rentals Working Group to review the community feedback collected in November and December 2022. during that engagement period, we were specifically asking the community about:

  • Community and business concerns or opportunities
  • Solutions from neighbouring communities
  • Impacts of licensing on existing long-term rentals
  • Impacts of restricting short-term rentals to primary residences

Overall, 174 people shared their opinions in the online survey. Our staff, along with a working group with a mix of business owners and residents worked with those findings to help form recommendations to council around if and how short-term rental licensing could work in Guelph.

NEW** The engagement results, along with a staff report are now available in the March 7 Committee of the Whole Agenda packet. On March 28, 2023, council approved the licensing model for Guelph's short term businesses. A bylaw will be developed in the coming months, and will be available on our website once passed. July 1, 2023 is earmarked for the bylaw to go into effect..

For more information

Contact our licensing department: licensing@guelph.ca.

Short-term rentals in Guelph are active and growing, with listings in online markets that help connect people looking for short-term rentals with people who want to rent or sublet a space. Unlike hotels and bed and breakfasts, these short-term rentals are operating in Guelph without health and safety, zoning and parking guidelines that many businesses with licences are required to have.

Based on direction from Guelph City Council, we're exploring what it might look like to add short-term rentals to our existing Business Licence By-law. In addition to extensive research and conversations with our Short-Term Rentals Working Group, we're seeking feedback from the community, visitors and businesses to make sure we approach short-term rental licensing with the right solutions for Guelph.

Regulations we’re looking to add under a licensing model could include:

  • Fire inspections
  • Public health inspections
  • Mandated insurance with limits
  • Fees for licencing
  • Acceptable locations and building types that could be rented

Public consultation is now closed

We are working with the Short-Term Rentals Working Group to review the community feedback collected in November and December 2022. during that engagement period, we were specifically asking the community about:

  • Community and business concerns or opportunities
  • Solutions from neighbouring communities
  • Impacts of licensing on existing long-term rentals
  • Impacts of restricting short-term rentals to primary residences

Overall, 174 people shared their opinions in the online survey. Our staff, along with a working group with a mix of business owners and residents worked with those findings to help form recommendations to council around if and how short-term rental licensing could work in Guelph.

NEW** The engagement results, along with a staff report are now available in the March 7 Committee of the Whole Agenda packet. On March 28, 2023, council approved the licensing model for Guelph's short term businesses. A bylaw will be developed in the coming months, and will be available on our website once passed. July 1, 2023 is earmarked for the bylaw to go into effect..

For more information

Contact our licensing department: licensing@guelph.ca.

  • CLOSED: This survey has concluded.

    Short-term Rentals Survey

    Short-term rental housing is typically considered an accommodation rental for less than 30 days. These rentals generally serve visitors to Guelph and are not permanent housing solutions for area residents.

    Hotels, inns and bed and breakfasts in Guelph are currently regulated under our Business Licence By-law.  In the last decade, there has been rapid growth in various apps and websites that connect people looking to rent a room, apartment or house for a short period of time with people who want to provide their room, apartment or house to rent for a fee. There are a little over 100 such rentals that we know of on the market in Guelph today, and they are not regulated under the existing by-law.

    Without regulation, that means these different business models can operate under different standards when it comes to fire safety, zoning, parking and other standards that are mandated under the business licencing model.  As a result, we have an uneven playing field in the short-term rental market. Through this process we will develop a Short-term Rentals By-law, but specifics around regulations and it’s relationship to the Business Licencing By-law are still undecided.

    Please help us find the right solution for Guelph. Your feedback will be used to determine if including short-term rentals in the Business Licencing By-law is the right fit for our community, and what standards may be part of the regulation process going forward.

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Page last updated: 31 Mar 2023, 09:27 AM