Fort Erie council approves short-term rental pilot

Fort Erie council has adopted a plan to deal with short-term rentals in town, approving a pilot project that would require units be licensed starting Jan. 1, 2020.

Town politicians have been debating the issue for more than a year and earlier this month approved the pilot.

The town will not monitor or inspect rentals, although adhering to provincial building codes will be a stipulation of getting a licence, which will cost $300.

Ward 2 Coun. Nick Dubanow was happy the matter was finally being acted on and was in full support of the mayor’s amendment.

“We already have bylaws in town for lot maintenance, noise and nuisance,” he said, adding that the town could impose penalties on owners through the town’s administrative penalty system.

“That’s going to provide an incentive to owners,” he said.

Ward 5 Coun. Don Lubberts said he would “reluctantly” support the Redekop amendment.

“There’s about five or six units in this town where people are going crazy and having a good time,” he said. “These people in Fort Erie need something. We need a mechanism to get those guys out of there.”

Later, he added: “We’re regulating the whole thing to death and we are not fixing the problem.”

Ward 3 Coun. Kim Zanko said she welcomed the pilot.

“Short-tern rentals actually help our economy,” she said, adding that she hears that regularly from businesses in town. “This gives us a good year to identify those five or six or 10 homes and not negatively affect those that are doing good things.”

Ward 6 Coun. Ann-Marie Noyes was outright opposed to the amendment.

“This amendment will not address occupancy numbers, parking, debris and noise,” she said. “Basically, with all the work that has been done, the only thing they have to do is pay $300.”

A roundtable talk concluded things such as room caps, parking limitations, garbage collection and more be addressed while enforcement be handled by either additional bylaw staff to cover evening hours or by hiring a security company. It was expected that hiring a seasonal bylaw officer from May through September would cost approximately $28,500.

The licensing fee will help cover that cost.