FORT ERIE (July 20, 2022) – As of July 18, 2022, Fort Erie Council made additional changes to the Short-Term Rental program. Operators will be required to maintain a register of renters and overnight occupants and follow new advertising guidelines. The amended Short-Term Rental By-law also details the consequences of operating without a licence and potential licence revocation for those that contravene the By-law.
“We’ve introduced these changes to strengthen our Short-Term Rental program and to ensure that property owners and their guests understand the rules. Our collective goal is to strike a balance between our residents who have committed to ownership in our community and those wishing to provide safe rental sites for visitors. Short-Term Rentals must be licenced and their advertising must identify that. Those that abide by our operating laws will view this as a positive evolution of the program. For those that don’t, stricter penalties will be enforced.” – Mayor Redekop
Summary of Changes to the Short-Term Rental Program
Maintaining a Register of Renters and Overnight Occupants
For all Short-Term Rental reservations or bookings that are made on or after July 18, 2022, the operator is required to maintain a register that contains the name and address of the renter and the names of all parties staying overnight. The owner will be required to provide the Town of Fort Erie with the register upon request.
Short-Term Rental Advertising
• Advertising a Short-Term Rental without including the Town of Fort Erie issued licence number may result in a $75.00 administrative penalty and three (3) demerit points.
• Advertising a Short-Term Rental with more than three (3) bedrooms may result in a$500.00 administrative penalty and five (5) demerit points.
• Advertising a Short-Term Rental that exceeds the maximum occupancy may result in a$500.00 administrative penalty and five (5) demerit points.
Advertising a Short-Term Rental without a licence may result in a $1,000 administrative penalty and a two (2) year prohibition on applying for a licence from the date on which the first Penalty Notice is issued. In the event a Short-Term Rental continues to advertise without a licence, the administrative penalty will increase to $1,500 for each subsequent infraction and the prohibition can be extended up to five (5) years.
Revocation of a Licence
A Short-Term Rental licence will be immediately revoked where the total number of Demerit Points in effect against a Short-Term Rental is fifteen (15) or more.
An Owner whose licence has been revoked may, within ten (10) days of being notified of the revocation, submit a written request to the Coordinator to appeal the licence revocation to the Hearing Officer.
Operating without a Licence
Operating a Short-Term Rental without a licence may result in a $1,500 administrative penalty and a two (2) year prohibition on applying for a licence from the date on which the first Penalty Notice is issued. In the event a Short-Term Rental continues to operate without a licence, the administrative penalty will increase to $2,000 for each subsequent infraction and the prohibition can be extended up to five (5) years.
Please refer to the Short-Term Rental By-law for details.
Short-Term Rentals: https://www.forterie.ca/pages/ShortTermRentals
Operators: https://www.forterie.ca/pages/ShortTermRentalsforOperators
Renters: https://www.forterie.ca/pages/ShortTermRentalsforRenters
For more information, please call 905 871-1600.