Should Airbnbs be licensed in Windsor? City exploring regulations on short-term rentals

The City of Windsor is exploring regulations on short-term rentals like Airbnb — opening the door for licensing fees or zoning rules to set out where these enterprises can locate.

Seeking input from the public, city officials hosted an open house Wednesday afternoon at the Windsor International Aquatic and Training Centre.

Some of the many regulations the city is considering adopting include where short-term rentals can be located and the types of homes that can be rented.

Jim St. Louis and his wife have operated an Airbnb for the past year and a half. He said it's important that "the positive side of the story" behind short-term rentals is told.

"My experience with Airbnb has been fantastic," said St. Louis. "It's really turned into something that people gravitate to and people enjoy, as opposed to hotels."

The idea of short-term rentals being regulated by the city isn't concerning to St. Louis, he said, pointing to safety concerns as a clear justification for the implementation of regulations — like occasional checks to ensure smoke alarms and carbon dioxide detectors are present in the rental unit.

"I don't think [the city] should get overly involved — but I think safety is a top priority," said St. Louis.

There are few regulations the city would have to adopt before appearing to overstep boundaries, St. Louis added, like only allowing homeowners who live in a property to operate a short-term rental.

"We don't live in our rental so that would be something that would cause us to go in a different direction," he said. 

"Another thing that I've heard is that short-term rentals are affecting reasonable rental properties in the city. I don't know that I'd necessarily agree with that. I'm sure there's more student housing that's taking up good rental properties from people who are looking for homes."

For fellow Airbnb operator Shannon Dumont, some regulations are necessary — similarly to how the City of Windsor oversees bed-and-breakfasts.

"They have health codes and all those things they have to abide by. I'm not opposed to that," said Dumont, adding she operates a "very clean" Airbnb.

Airbnb operators Kate Isley and Pina Ciotoli spoke with Windsor Morning host Tony Doucette about short-term rental regulations. Tap on the player below for that interview:

Unlike St. Louis, Dumont — who said she vets all of her guests — would welcome regulations requiring short-term rental operators to live in the property they rent out. She lives in a duplex on the upper floor while renting out the main level.

Dumont added she would be happy with regulations permitting the city to inspect short-term rentals on an annual basis but more frequent inspections would be a bit of an overstep.

"I don't want them in my business every single day," said Dumont.

While some may feel that private residence owners should be free to do whatever they want with their property, Dumont remains sympathetic to the city's position.

"I think there are too many corporations that are buying the very cheap real estate here in Windsor and then they're not here ... They don't have the same level of care that a homeowner has," she said.

The city will receive complaints about short-term rentals to its 311 call centre "from time to time," according to the city's licensing supervisor Craig Robertson, concerning noise from parties and garbage left out on the street.

Robertson added his team is currently looking at short-term rental regulations in "municipalities that are comparable in size to Windsor" to see if similar conditions could be adopted here.

The city has also created an online survey open until this Saturday at 4 p.m. as it continues to seek feedback.

A full report outlining recommended regulations for short-term rentals is expected to be presented to Windsor city council this fall.