Mississauga: The City’s General Committee received a staff report on November 4 on a proposed by-law that will require operators of short-term accommodation rental properties to legally license them with the City.
Pending approval at Council, the new by-law will go into effect on January 19, 2021. It will apply to anyone renting out all or part of their home for 30 consecutive days or less.
According to the staff report, short-term accommodation operators will be required to:
• obtain a license in order to operate in Mississauga
• only rent from within their principal residence, which is the location where they live for the majority of the calendar year and the address that is used for bills, identification, taxes etc.
“Short-term accommodations are here to stay in Mississauga. It’s important that operators are licensed in order to ensure public safety and for community standards across the City,” said Mayor Bonnie Crombie.
“By regulating this, local residents and visitors can be assured that these properties operate safely.” Current operators will have a six-month grace period to obtain a license.
New operators as of January 19, 2021 will need to get a license before they open. . “The main objective of the Short-Term Accommodation By-law is to ensure public safety and maintain community standards,” said Sam Rogers, Director, Enforcement.
“Officers will be better equipped to respond to public complaints and address nuisance issues such as noise, garbage and parking. We will also improve our ability to remove any high-risk operators from online platforms quickly and permanently.”
To obtain a license, operators must: Be at least 18 years of age; Show evidence that the rental is in a principal residence; Post the City-issued license number in all print or online advertisements; Pay an annual fee of $250.
Operators will be able to get their license online at mississauga.ca/STA from January 19, 2021.