Residents in Lakeshore are speaking out with their opposition of short-term rentals in Lakeshore.
Noise, people parking on grass, and lewd conduct are some of the things Argo Pace and his wife said they endure living next to a short-term rental.
Town council approved a zoning by-law amendment to prohibit short-term rentals throughout the municipality. Under the by-law, rentals of 28 days or less would be subject to regulations, much like bed and breakfast outfits are.
However, those regulations have yet to be defined. Town administrators are creating a report on short-term rentals to define how they could regulate the 100 or so that existed before the zoning bylaw came into effect.
He said no new short-term rentals were allowed to be created after the bylaw passed.
The Planning Act section 34(9) prevents new municipality zoning bylaws from interfering with the continued legal use of one’s land, building, or structure, but allows for the passing of zoning bylaws to regulate matters, including use of land and standards associated with land uses. That can include things such as location, size, setback, and parking.
“It has to respect the provincial legislation and the fact that some people may have been using or operating a building legally, prior to the date of the bylaw,” Mercer said.
Administration is hoping to present their report to council in the upcoming months. In the meantime, Pace and others are encouraging residents to call their councillor to let them know how they feel about short-term rentals.