As many of you know, with the growing popularity of Airbnb and other home sharing platforms we have seen an increase in short term rental properties across the city, including in residential communities.
While I recognize that not all rental properties are problematic, I have received several complaints from the community with concerns related to general property upkeep, noise, and parking. In response, I wanted to share with you what is being done to address these concerns and tell you more about how the city is tackling this issue more broadly.
As part of our ongoing efforts, I met with the Chief of Bylaw Services, Roger Chapman, to discuss the community’s concerns related to the increase in rental housing in South Keys. Chief Chapman has agreed to pilot a proactive patrol of the area to identify problem addresses and to enforce the city’s existing bylaws including our property standards bylaw, parking bylaw, and zoning bylaw. In addition to the proactive patrols, Bylaw Services will continue to investigate addresses that have been previously reported and I encourage residents to continue to report infractions through the City’s 3-1-1 service.
In addition, and thanks in no small part to the resilience of the neighbouring property owners, the city was successful in permanently de-listing a problematic AirBnb property from its platform in Hunt Club Park. I want to thank the community members who took to the time to report their concerns both to the city and directly to AirBnB via their Neighbourhs Tool on their website.
I want to assure you that I recognize how concerning this situation is to the community and I know a more permanent solution is required to address this issue long term. That is why I requested and secured funding in the City’s 2018 Budget to conduct a comprehensive bylaw review on short-term rentals. This will address concerns related to rooming houses, student housing, and Airbnb. Through this review, we will ensure that the city has the tools required to protect the integrity of our neighbourhoods. The internal process has already started and extensive public consultation will take place in 2019.
I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to share your concerns with my office. I appreciate hearing your feedback and will continue to work with you to ensure our community continues to be a great place to live.
As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to call me at 613-580-2480 or send me an email at diane.deans@ottawa.ca