PSA: Vaughan licences short-term rentals
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New regulations pertain
to homeowners and tenants
Tourism is an important economic driver for
Vaughan. As a leading tourist destination, the City attracts thousands of visitors
each year who contribute to the local economy and help small businesses thrive.
Effective Jan. 1, 2020, short-term rentals are allowed in residential homes in
Vaughan – that is the homeowners primary residence – provided that a licence is
obtained.
The City undertook an
extensive review of the impacts of short-term rentals, including the commonly
reported challenges, opportunities, benefits and best practices. Feedback from
the community was received through a public consultation process which took
place from November 2018 to March 2019 and incorporated into the new Short-term Rental Licensing By-law 158-2019.
All short-term rental owners
and brokerages, such as Airbnb, must apply for a licence and renew it annually.
Applications can now be submitted to the City of Vaughan in-person at the
By-law and Compliance, Licensing and Permit Services counter at City Hall.
To obtain a licence,
owners must follow these steps:
- Step 1: Register for a Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) number. All short-term rental owners and brokerages require a MAT number.
- Step 2: Fill out the short-term rental licence application form, available at vaughan.ca/ShortTermRentals and at the By-law and Compliance, Licensing and Permit Services counter located on the first level at Vaughan City Hall. The counter is open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., except for statutory holidays.
- Step 3: Submit the application form with the necessary documents and the licensing fee to the By-law and Compliance, Licensing and Permit Services counter at Vaughan City Hall.
- Step 4: Once a short-term rental owner has their licence, they must:
- display the licence in a place visible from, or as near as possible to, the main entrance of the short-term rental.
- notify the City of Vaughan, in writing, within seven days of any change to the information provided in the application to obtain or renew a licence.
- ensure the home complies, at all times, with the Ontario Building Code and Ontario Fire Code, including maximum occupancy.
- show the amount of the MAT as a separate item or charge on the bill for each stay – this applies to owners that operate their short-term rental independently from a brokerage.
- collect and remit the MAT to the City of Vaughan.
- renew the licence annually as long as the short-term rental is in operation.
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