Short-term rental permits provide consumer protection and peace of mind

April 01, 2022

Property holders, who want to rent their princi- pal residence or second- ary vacation property, like a cottage, for short- term rentals, must now register for a permit and provide the necessary requirements – providing consumers protection and peace of mind.

Short-term rental prop- erties are permitted for primary residences in urban neighourhoods and rural villages and second- ary properties in other rural settings, like a vaca- tion home or cottage. The City’s short-term rental permit, which becomes an enforceable requirement on April 1, requires the property holder to meet the criteria and provide key information to the City and customers:

- Contact information of the property owner, holder or manager for any urgent need or require- ment

- Proof the property the urban or rural village property is a principal ad- dress

- Proof of ownership of a secondary property

- Proof of insurance

- Registration on a short-term rental platform - Floor plans of the residence, along with all the exits

- Approvals from any condominium corporation or property owner, should the permit applicant is renting the principal resi- dence.

- Listing of the number of bedrooms to ensure the numbers of guests do not exceed capacity limits

- All the necessary emergency contact infor- mation, such as 9-1-1

- Listing to the custom- ers of the City’s bylaws – such as noise, parking and property maintenance regulations

A short-term rental host can also hire a third-party to act as a property manager, but consumer- protection requirements must also be met, includ-ing:

- Contact information

- Proof of insurance

Individuals, who are interested in making their urban principal address or secondary urban resi- dence available for short- term rentals, must acquire a permit starting Friday, April 1.

Landlords, condomin- ium corporations and housing cooperations may prohibit short-term rent- als of their properties. In order to do so, they must apply to the City for a pro- hibition.

Permit applicants and short-term rental custom- ers can visit ottawa.ca for more information about short-term rental permit applications and by-law – including all the require- ments and permit fees.