The Town of Gravenhurst will continue with its short-term rental licensing by-law after a successful first year.
The by-law went into effect in Jan. 2023 after getting council approval in June 2022.
Kayla Thibeault, Director of Legislative Services/Clerk, wrote in a Nov. 21 report council that 133 licenses were issued. She noted any operating a short-term rental must reapply every year.
“For 2024, the licensing officers will continue to streamline the administration of the licensing program including updated application processes to clarify documentation needed for a complete application, introduce online payment options, and further define application deadlines to avoid in abeyance applications,” explained Thibeault.
It costs $750 for a license which she pointed out in her report was a point of criticism from some applicants who said it’s too high and may hurt the tourism industry in Muskoka.
However, Thibeault said in her report the fee will not change for 2024.
The revenue from the program was $99,750, according to her report. Of that, she explained the municipal portion amounts to $75,800 and will be put into a reserve fund only to be used for tourism-related projects in Gravenhurst.
During the first year of the program, Thibeault says the town issued two formal charges were made over the past year. “Given the increased level of resources dedicated to this initiative, this is an extremely low number of complaints that resulted in formal penalties being issued,” she said.
Thibeault pointed out that by-law enforcement officers were instructed to take a more educational approach and deal with issues on a complaint-based system.
“Enforcement operations in subsequent years will move from an education-based approach to the issuance of monetary penalties for by-law violations, so it will be more indicative of the actual number of by-law infractions occurring on short-term rental properties,” she continued.
Another update is expected on the program in the fall of 2024.
