Explore December’s By-law of the Month
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Learn everything you
need to know about Vaughan’s Short-term Rental Licensing By-law
By-laws are put in place to ensure a safe and orderly community for
all who live, work and play in Vaughan. Each month, the City of Vaughan explores
a different by-law and what it means for you. This month, let’s take a look at
the Short-term Rental Licensing
By-law
(PDF).
Here are the basics
Safety
always remains a leading priority. The City is committed to providing measures
to regulate short-term rental housing to ensure these accommodations are safe
for tenants to live in.
In
Vaughan, short-term rentals can operate in residential homes – that is, the
homeowner’s or tenant/lessee’s principal residence – as long as a licence is
obtained from the City. Short-term rentals are generally understood to be renting
out a residence, or part of a residence, for short periods of time (not more
than 29 consecutive nights) for a fee.
- homeowners or tenants/lessees are considered owners.
- businesses, such as Airbnb and Expedia, that offer a service to advertise and book a short-term rental, are considered brokerages.
- both owners and brokerages are required to obtain a licence.
Municipal Accommodation Tax
A
Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) applies to all short-term rental stays.
Owners and brokerages must have a MAT number in order to obtain a
licence. Homeowners or tenants/lessees who operate a short-term rental must
charge a four per cent tax on accommodations sold. To register for a MAT
number and learn more about the MAT, visit vaughan.ca/mat.
Fines
Homeowners
and brokers who do not obtain a licence for their short-term rental and do not
comply with all requirements will be subject to fines and other actions,
including revoking or denying a licence.
Residents
can call Service Vaughan at 905-832-2281 to file a complaint. Those found to be in violation of the Short-term Rental Licensing
By-law could be fined up to $5,000 for their first offence, and up to $10,000 for their second and
all subsequent offences.
For
more information on short-term rentals and everything you need to operate one
in your home, visit vaughan.ca/ShortTermRentals.