Short Term Rental Accommodations

• All STRs have an occupancy limit of two (2) persons per bedroom. If an applicant can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the Township that the sewage disposal system serving the premises was designed and constructed in compliance with the Ontario Building Code to accommodate a higher occupancy number, the Township may increase the maximum occupancy number on the issued license.
• Only one (1) STRA license will be issued per premises.  In other words, an operator cannot rent different buildings to different rental groups at the same time. All habitable buildings can be rented out. This includes sleeping cabins/bunkies and second storey boathouses. 

• For those STRs located in the Waterfront Residential, Community Residential (R4) or Waterbody Open Space Zone, the following additional restrictions apply:

1. In June, July and August, a minimum of seven (7) consecutive nights in each month must be taken off
from operating an STRA, known as the “Summer Monthly Break”, and;
2. Between the Friday immediately preceding Victoria Day to the Tuesday immediately following Labour Day, only one (1) rental group is permitted per every six (6) consecutive night period, known as the “Summer Rental Frequency”.
3. For properties located in all other zones, rental restrictions 1 and 2 do not apply but the occupancy limits must be adhered to. 

• The week off restriction simply must be 7 consecutive nights. The calendar is only for illustration purposes. The week off can be from Tuesday to Tuesday or Wednesday to Wednesday, etc.
• The week off cannot straddle over two months.
• A break between rental groups is not required if rentals are longer than six (6) consecutive nights in the summer, provided you also adhere to the Summer Monthly Break in each of June, July and August.
• Information on the occupancy limit of your private sewage disposal system may be found on a recent building permit or by contacting the Township’s Building Department.
  
• To find out how your property is zoned, please use Muskoka GeoHub or contact the Township’s Planning Department.
• Owners and their family/friends are still permitted to occupy the STRA when it is not rented at any point throughout the year. 

1. Ensure all outstanding fees and fines are paid for the property and owner. 
2. Review and complete the Pre-Application Checklist. 
3. Review the Application Resources for assistance.
4. Prepare the application fee: 

• For properties in the Waterfront or R4 zones (Community Waterfront Residential), the application fee is $1,000.00 annually. 
• For all other zones, the application fee is $500.00 annually.
  To confirm the zoning of a property is please visit the Muskoka Geohub. 

Once live, operators will apply and pay for the application through our online portal. 

The Township is anticipating a large volume of applications during the initial implementation of the program given the number of known short term rental accommodations in the Township. As a result, review times may be delayed while the Township works diligently to circulate applications to all relevant departments and review applications as quickly and efficiently as possible. 

Due to the anticipated influx, we encourage operators to submit their applications as early as possible.

• Add the license number to all advertisements; 
• Ensure the Renter’s Information Package is in an accessible location for renters; 
• Ensure compliance with the terms and conditions of the license and all applicable laws; 
• Remember to renew your license annually. 

If you rent your property for over 28 consecutive days or are a hotel, motel, bed & breakfast, private camp, tent and trailer park, or rooming house, you are not required to obtain a STRA license.  

STRAs are not permitted to be operated out of non-habitable spaces, motor vehicles trailers, vessels (whether docked or not), and community housing. 

The By-law permits only one license per premise. On one property you could have multiple buildings, however you can only have one rental group at a time. Whether or not your rental group rents out one or all buildings is an owner’s decision, however it must comply with the occupancy restriction of 2 persons per bedroom and within the limit of your approved sewage disposal system.

• All Waterfront and R4 (Community Waterfront Residential) STRA owners must take a one week break from renting (seven consecutive nights) during the summer months. 

• All Waterfront and R4 (Community Waterfront Residential) STRA owners are limited to accommodating only one rental group every six consecutive nights. There is no minimum or maximum number of nights per stay. 

There is no mandatory inspection requirement within the by-law however, during the Township’s review of an application, if a concern is identified and an inspection is required, the Township will notify the owner. The owner will be required to pay an Inspection Fee depending on which division (Building, By-law or Fire Dept.) will be conducting the inspection. 

There may be circumstances where staff will be required to enter the dwelling of a STRA property to confirm compliance with the requirements of the By-law and/or other legislation. If entry is refused and staff cannot confirm compliance it may result in the application being refused.

If a STRA owner’s license is suspended or revoked, they will no longer be able to operate the STRA. The owner will be notified with an explanation and will be required to return the license.

The Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS) By-law provides officers with the ability to issue monetary penalties against property owners and renters if a by-law is contravened. To find out more information about AMPS, please refer to the Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS) By-law. 

A cottage can be loaned to friends or family provided that it is not provided by way of concession, permit, lease, license, rental agreement or similar arrangement. 

Are the rental restrictions applicable to those who use third party rental companies such as Airbnb or a full-service property management company to manage the STRA?

Do the STRA restrictions change if the owner is on site while it is rented?  

The Short Term Rental Licensing By-law provides officers with the ability to apply demerit points against an owner if a by-law is contravened. Offences carry various demerit points which expire after three years from the issuance of the demerit points. Once a property accumulates fifteen points within a three-year period, the license will be suspended, and the owner can no longer operate the STRA for a period determined by the Township. To find out more information about the demerit point system please refer to the Short Term Rental Licensing By-law, and review Schedule “B”.

Demerit points cannot be appealed until a maximum of 15 points have been incurred, and the license has been suspended.

What aspects of the Ontario Building Code will be enforced during the application process?

In general, a property will be reviewed to ensure all permits related to an STRA application have had an occupancy certificate issued and file closed.  If any open permits are discovered, inspections will be required, and the provisions of the building code in force at the time of the permit issuance will be applied. For example, regarding battery operated smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, these remain acceptable provided the building constructed predates the code requirement for hardwired smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. In the event a building predates the Ontario Building Code, these buildings will be reviewed with life safety considerations primarily ensuring no element of the building is considered unsafe as outlined by the Building Code Act and Fire Code.