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C O in si de ha lt on .c om O ak vi ll e B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, A pr il 5, 20 18 | NEWS Town moves to regulate Airbnb and short-term rental accommodations Short-term rental accommodation operator must now have principle residence in same dwelling DAVID LEA dlea@oakvillebeaver.com The town has made changes to its zoning by­ laws in an effort to regulate and govern Airbnb and short-term rental accom­ modations in Oakville. The town's planning and development council voted to make the changes during a March 19 meeting.The term "short-term accommodation" typically describes rentals that oc­ cur over a short period (e.g. less than 30 days). Town staff said the zon­ ing bylaw regulates the types of properties that homeowners can rent as a short-term accommoda­ tion, and effective Nov. 1, a new licensing bylaw will require rental companies and rental hosts to be li­censed with the town in or­ der to operate. "Council's objective is to protect the livability and vitality of our communi­ ties," said Oakville Mayor Rob Burton. "We believe these new regulations will help us maintain community char­ acter and create account­ ability in the home-sharing market."The town's zoning bylaw amendments now recog­ nize short-term accommo­ dations and permit them within a variety of residen­ tial areas, subject to ob­taining a licence. In order to operate a short-term accommoda­ tion, the new bylaw re­ quires that a certificate of occupancy and a $237 per year license be obtained; that the accommodation be operated by the person(s) whose principal residence is the dwelling in which the rental unit is located; and "We do understand you are looking to regulate and put restrictions in place that would limit the impact that short-term rentals could have on our community. Perhaps this is the level of restriction we can best get, but we do have some suggestions." - Joshua Creek Residents' Association president Janet Haslett-Theall that one additional off- street parking space is pro­ vided. A short-term accommo­ dation company would need to have commercial general liability insurance at $5 million while a short­ term accommodation oper­ator would need to have in­ surance at $2 million. The new licensing by­ law also requires short­ term accommodation oper­ ators to operate in a way that does disturb the sur­ rounding residences. Jim Barry of the Town's bylaw enforcement depart­ ment said this whole pro­ cess was initiated because short-term rental accom­modations were causing noise and nuisance prob­ lems in local neighbour­ hoods. Short-term accommo­ dations are not allowed within the same dwelling as a bed and breakfast es­ tablishment, a lodging house, a private home day­ care, or a daycare. The new regulations permit three lodging units within a bed and breakfast -up from two, to create more equity in the market • See ASSOCIATION, page 19 TABRICLAND 50th Birthday Sale & Draw McCall's 7507n. . rCheck out our calendar of ̂ FLASHBACK PRICING! N A different deal per day! our reg.prices on selected merchandise And Members save 4 0 % o ff oar reg. price on almost anything else not already on sale! Not a Member? Join & save more! Ask as how! Plus OVER $300,000 WORTH of PRIZES to be WON! Including 2 Janome Sewing Machines per participating store! Ballots & details in-store. o n Major university hearing study seeks participants. Connect Hearing, with hearing researcher Professor Kathy Pichora-Fuller at the University o f Toronto, seeks participants who are over 50 years of age and have never worn hearing aids for a hearing study investigating factors that can influence better hearing. All participants will have a hearing test provided at no charge. Qualifying participants may also receive a demonstration of the latest hearing technology. The data collected from this study will be used to further our understanding of hearing loss and improve life­ changinghearing healthcare across Canada. Why participate in the hearing study? Hearing problems typically result from damage to the ear and researchers have spent decades trying to understand the biology behind hearing loss. More im portantly, researchers now realize the need to better understand how hearing loss affects your everyday life*. In this new hearing study, Professor Pichora-Fuller and her team are trying to find out how people learn to live w ith hearing loss and how new solutions could help these people take action sooner and live life more fully. It is estimated that 46% of people aged 45 to 87 have some degree o f hearing loss1, but most do not seek treatment right away. In fact, the average person with hearing loss will wait ten years before seeking help2. This is because at the beginning stages o f hearing loss people often find they can "get by" without help, however as the problem worsens this becomes increasingly harder to do. For some people this loss of clarity is only a problem at noisy restaurants or in the car, but for others it makes listening a struggle throughout the entire day. By studying people who have difficulty hearing in noise or with television, we hope to identify key factors im pacting these difficulties and further understand their influence on the treatment process. If you are over 50 years o f age and have never worn hearing aids, you can register to be a part o f this major new hearing study by calling: 1.888.242.4892 or visiting connecthearing.ca/hearing-study. *Pichora-Fuller, M. K. (2016). How social psychological factors m ay m odulate auditoryand cognitive functioning during listening. Earand Hearing, 37, 92S-100S. t Study participants m ust be over 50 years of age and have neverworn hearing aids. No fees and no purchase necessary. Registered under the College of Speech and Hearing Health Professionals o f BC. VAC,W CB accepted. 1. Cruickshanks, K. L., Wiley, T. L.,Tweed,T. S., Klein, B. E. K., Klein, R, Mares-Perlman, J. A., & Nondahl, D. M . (1998). Prevalence of Hearing Loss in Older Adults in Beaver Dam ,W isconsin:The Ep idem iologyofHearing Loss Study. Am. J. Epidemiol. 148 (9), 879-886. 2. National Institutes ofHealth. (2010). rwi UNIVERSITY OFIP TO RO N TO Connect Hearing mailto:dlea@oakvillebeaver.com