Short Term Rentals

David Arama | Jun 14, 2023

In response to the recent article regarding "Short-Term Rental issues in South Frontenac", we have similar issues in North Frontenac, with a huge increase in absentee landlord Airbnb cottages. This not only poses a growing problem for neighbours i.e. excessive noise, damages, disregard of other neighbours, it additionally also has larger implications that the Township Office isn't addressing:

• many of these Airbnb short-term rentals aren't vetted by the platforms
• many are fire-traps, lacking proper rental property standards eg proper emergency fire escapes, extinguishers and fire suppression systems, C02 systems, fire separation of walls/doors/ceilings etc
• rented out exceeding capacity limits
• illegal, unsafe docks 

Furthermore, many hosts conveniently ignore advising guests of local by-laws and statements, eg fireworks, fire bans etc etc., don't have commercial rental insurance, and skirt paying business and local taxes.

We saw what happened in Montreal recently at an illegal firetrap rooming house, where 8 innocent souls perished, in the name of Airbnb profits.

Are we going to address this problem in Frontenac Townships?

- David Arama