Short-Term Accommodations

The Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula's short-term accommodation (STA) licensing program provides a system of regulations for short-term accommodations with an aim to:

Protect the character, amenities, and quality of the community;
Create accountability for and to ratepayers, short-term accommodators, and visitors;
Ensure occupants are provided with safe accommodations in terms of fire and building safety;
Ensure STA owners and operators are made aware of their responsibilities to comply with municipal by-laws and other regulations;
Ensure STA premises are operated and maintained in sanitary and acceptable levels of interior conditions as per Property Standards;
Create a level playing field for all STA operators and provide enhanced consumer protection; and
Permit responsible short-term accommodation across the Municipality.

The Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula requires all operators of STA rentals to obtain a short-term accommodation licence; monthly rentals (those of 30 or more consecutive days) do not require a licence.

Operators of short-term rental properties must obtain a short-term accommodation licence; STAs operating without a licence will risk incurring a penalty of $900 plus additional fines.

Bunkies and other accessory buildings may not be rented or used as sleeping areas within the rental of the dwelling.

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How to Register a Short-Term Accommodation (STA) Property

Apply for a STA permit/licence through Cloudpermit, the Municipality's online permit system.

A step-by-step STA Application Guidebook is available to assist applicants through the online application process. There are specific areas of the Municipality that are zoned to allow for licensed Short Term Accommodation use.

A “Short Term Accommodation” means an entire primary private residential dwelling that is rented to provide accommodations to a person or persons on a temporary basis for a period of less than 30 days and to which the Residential Tenancies Act, 2006, S.O. 2006, c. 17, as may be amended from time to time, does not apply. Short-Term Accommodations do not include bed and breakfast establishments, hotels, motels, lodges or other commercially zoned accommodation uses for the travelling public.

When completing the Cloudpermit online application process, a number of supporting documents are required:

Proof of Ownership (copy of the transfer/deed proving evidence of ownership)

Government Issued Identification (ID) which includes a name photo, and address

Certificate of most recent septic inspection (such as an invoice)

Proof of Insurance (ensure the amount of liability coverage is included)

Site plan (may be hand drawn) - Provide an overview of the property including the location of the septic tank/bed, well, fuel tanks, parking areas, fire pit(s), and all structures on the property.

Floor plan of the dwelling (may be hand drawn) - Including the location of all bedrooms, exits, fire extinguishers, smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.

Property Manager/Responsible Person Consent Document - Provide the name, contact information and consent letter of an individual or property management company that is within a 60 minute radius of the property.

WETT Certificate (If applicable) If a WETT Certificate is required for your property, find a WETT certified inspector here.

STA Owner Authorization Form required if a person other than the property owner is submitting the Application. The form also allows Municipal staff to discuss matters relating to the operation of the property with the designated individual (e.g. property manager).

Renter Code of Conduct (either utilizing the Municipal Code of Conduct or your own version)

If property owners intend to allow guests to have campfires or bonfires, a fire permit must be obtained from the Municipality. More information surrounding fire permits can be found here. Information surrounding outdoor fire safety, methods to extinguish the fire, fire ban regulations, and activating the permit must be provided to guests.

Please review the Short-term Accommodation By-law to ensure that your property is eligible for a Short-term Accommodation Licence. Only properties located within Residential Zones (R1 and R2), Rural Zones (RU1 and RU2), and Commercial (C1-a) Zones are eligible for a Short-term Accommodation Licence. If your property is located outside of the permitted zones, it may be eligible to receive a licence if proof of previous rental prior to January 1, 2022, is provided to the Licence Issuer.

Application review & property inspection

After you have submitted your STA licence application online, municipal staff will review the submission. Once the application has been reviewed for completeness, staff will arrange an inspection where a municipal employee will visit your property and check for specific items relating to the operation of your STA.

Please familiarize yourself ahead of time with the STA Inspection Checklist to ensure you will meet the criteria prior to the inspection.

Bunkies and other accessory buildings may not be rented or used as sleeping areas within the rental of the dwelling.

Water Sample Pick up and Drop Off-Locations

Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula Office (56 Lindsay Road 5, Lion's Head, Ontario)

Pick up Bottle: Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Drop Off: Wednesday 8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Town of South Bruce Peninsula Office (315 George Street, Wiarton, Ontario)

Pick-up Bottle: Monday- Friday 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Drop Off: Wednesday 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Licence Issuance & MAT payments

Following a successful inspection, a bill will be issued on Cloudpermit. The associated fees can be seen below.

CLASSIFICATION	REGISTRATION FEE ($)	RENEWAL FEE ($)	Maximum number of rental days annually
Class A/B	500	500	180
Class C	1500	1500	N/A
Inspection (Initial inspection)	500
Reinspection (Every three years or if initial inspection failed)		250

Upon the fulfillment of all requirements, a STA Licence will be issued to a property owner for a period of one year. Please ensure that your STA Licence Number is clearly identifiable within all rental listings.

There is a maximum number of days that a Short-term Accommodation can be rented within the Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula. The number of maximum rental days is associated with your Class of licence, as seen above. If you have questions regarding licensing classification, please contact the Licensing Issuer.

Following the issuance of a STA Licence, owners must report revenues and submit MAT payments quarterly. Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) is being charged effective as of January 1, 2022, at a rate of 4%. The MAT applies only to the accommodation charge and not associated charges, such as meals or room incidentals. The Municipal Accommodation Tax must be identified as a separate item or charge on each bill, receipt, or invoice.

Renewing Your Licence

Licences are valid for a period of one (1) year from the date of issue.

A step-by-step STA Renewal Guidebook is available to assist applicants through the online renewal process.

The following documents will be required to be uploaded to your existing Cloudpermit Workspace to renew your Short-term Accommodation Licence:

Your renewed insurance policy
New proof of septic inspection, which does not exceed 3 years since completion.

Once the documents are uploaded to your Cloudpermit Workspace, please contact the Licensing Issuer through Cloudpermit.

Following a review of the documents, a renewal fee will be issued to your Cloudpermit workspace. The renewal fee will be determined by the Class of Short-term Accommodation assigned to your dwelling.

A reinspection of the Short-term Accommodation will be required every 3 years to ensure compliance with Licensing Program guidelines and life safety requirements.

If you have any questions regarding the renewal process, please email the Deputy Clerk.

Occupancy Limits

In accordance with Ontario Building Code Provision 9.9.1.3, the occupancy limit for a Short-term Accommodation within the Municipality of Northern Brue Peninsula shall be based on a maximum of two (2) people per approved bedroom.

Properties possessing a valid Class A/B Short-term Accommodation Licence are permitted a maximum of two (2) children ages twelve (12) and under in addition to their assigned occupancy limit, if sufficient beds are provided. The utilization of a couch, pull-out couch or futon as a bed within a licensed Short-term Accommodation is not permitted.

To determine occupancy limit of your property, please email the Deputy Clerk.

Complaints

If you wish to report a Short Term Accommodation property, please call the Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula's 24/7 Nuisance Hotline.

1-866-750-8219

Once a complaint is submitted, the hotline will contact the Municipality's By-law Department and a By-law Officer will be dispatched to the noted Short-term Accommodation to investigate.

Anonymous complaints will not be processed. All complaints require a name, phone number, and/or email address, and a detailed description of the complaint in order for staff to properly respond and follow up to your inquiry. Under the Freedom of Information Act, complainant information is confidential.

Licensing Dashboard

This licensing dashboard displays existing STA licenses in the Municipality. Please note that this information is constantly being updated and may not accurately reflect recent submissions. The Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula provides this product for personal use and for reference purposes only and should not be used for any other purpose

Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula
56 Lindsay Road 5
Lion’s Head ON N0H 1W0
1-833-793-3537
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Privacy Notification

This privacy notification relates to personal information collected on the Short Term Accommodation Licence application and Owner Authorization form.

Personal information on this form is being collected for the purpose of determining the owner's eligibility for a Short Term Accommodation Licence in the Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula pursuant to its Bylaw(s). In providing this information, you have consented to its use for the above-described purpose and declare that all the information provided herein is correct. This information may be shared with applicable Municipality of Northern Bruce Peninsula departments and related agencies for the purpose of required inspections, approval of, and compliance with this licence application. The legislated authority to collect your personal information is the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. If you wish to obtain further information regarding the collection of your personal information, please contact the Clerk's Department at clerk@northernbruce.ca