Burlington City Council Approves Short-Term Accommodation By-law

At a Special Council Meeting on Jan 13, 2025, Burlington City Council approved the City’s new Short-Term Accommodation By-law. The by-law is designed to address key concerns raised through community feedback by reducing neighborhood disruptions and protecting long-term rental availability.  

The City’s new by-law will take effect on May 1, 2025, and requires that all short-term accommodations be licensed in Burlington. Through a review of public input and municipal comparators, the proposed by-law is designed to address the following: 

Housing availability: the by-law requires that any property licensed as a short-term accommodation must be the primary residence of the applicant (or have approval from the primary applicant) and can only be rented for a maximum consecutive 28 days and a total of six months (183 days) per year. This aims to encourage property owners to prioritize long-term rental agreements over short-term stays.

Common nuisances: The by-law aims to mitigate common neighbourhood nuisances such as noise, parking issues, and garbage. Short-term accommodation owners will need to provide a ‘renter’s code’ to anyone renting the unit which outlines relevant City by-laws and behavioural expectations. This includes submitting a plan for garbage and parking prior to approval. Additionally, occupancy of the rentals will depend on the size of the rental home to limit noise.

Safety: Owners will be required to submit certificates showing that the HVAC and electrical systems meet requirements prior to a licence being issued. They will also have to sign a declaration to comply with the maintenance and parking plans, Building Code and Fire Code. 
The City is currently exploring the feasibility of implementing the Municipal Accommodation Tax for short-term accommodations and will report back to Council later this year

These priorities were raised by community members through engagement touchpoints, including almost 500 survey responses in 2024.  

Applications for short-term rental accommodation licenses will be available on the City’s website by April 2025 in advance of the Short-Term Accommodation By-law coming into effect later this year.  