Cottage-country municipalities are cracking down on short-term rentals. But is the patchwork system of bylaws working?

Cottage country municipalities are cracking down on short-term rentals. But is the patchwork system of bylaws working? And is it fair?

Sara Romano

IT’S NO SECRET that cottage country populations have boomed over the last decade. Between 2016 and 2021, four of Canada’s fastest-growing populations were in rural areas such as Wasaga Beach, Ont., and Collingwood, Ont. More faces means a welcomed bump in business, foot traffic, and tourism for some sleepy cottage towns—and more visitors looking for places to rest their heads. For many folks, this involves a stay at a short-term rental (STR) property. Some are investment properties owned by individuals or corporations, which operate as full-time rental businesses; others are owned by cottagers who occasionally rent out their places to help with things like bills and mortgages. Justin Charles is a cottager in Rosseau, Ont., who falls into that second category. He’s owned his 500-sq.-ft., two-bedroom lakeside recreational property for…

You're reading a preview of

Cottage Life (Digital) - 1 Issue, Winter 2024

DiscountMags is a licensed distributor (not a publisher) of the above content and Publication through Zinio LLC. Accordingly, we have no editorial control over the Publications. Any opinions, advice, statements, services, offers or other information or content expressed or made available by third parties, including those made in Publications offered on our website, are those of the respective author(s) or publisher(s) and not of DiscountMags. DiscountMags does not guarantee the accuracy, completeness, truthfulness, or usefulness of all or any portion of any publication or any services or offers made by third parties, nor will we be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on information contained in any Publication, or your use of services offered, or your acceptance of any offers made through the Service or the Publications. For content removal requests, please contact Zinio.