Ramara Township is being asked to strengthen its bylaws to help crack down on short-term rentals.
Council heard concerns from two people during a presentation at a recent meeting.
Rosemary Bell and Maureen Drayton both have cottages on Glenrest Drive, on the northeast shore of Lake Simcoe.
“The short-term rentals have negatively changed our beach experience, for Rosemary, myself and other neighbours on the beach,” Drayton said, adding recently sold cottages in the area have been turned into short-term rental properties.
“This has changed the beach from a family space to a commercial enterprise with weekend party goers negatively impacting our ability to relax and enjoy our property.”
Theirs isn’t the only area where it’s become an issue. Residents from other parts of the township, including Joyland Beach, Lagoon City, Bayshore and Dalrymple, have contacted them about their experiences.
Littering, loud music and unattended bonfires are among the concerns.
They’re also “very concerned about the strong odour from overtaxed septic systems,” Bell said, noting many are original systems and haven’t been upgraded.
“There have also been some scary interactions with renters where they’ve left residents afraid or fearful of retaliation or harm or potential damage to their cars or other property because they’ve confronted short-term rentals about noise or other inappropriate actions,” she said.
Ramara passed a bylaw in 2020 that licenses short-term rentals. Bell and Drayton want it amended to allow for stiffer penalties for those who contravene the bylaw, to implement a zero-tolerance policy for illegal short-term rentals and to restrict how many short-term rentals can be on the same street or in the same area.
“Since short-term rentals are not permitted under Ramara’s existing zoning, why not just enforce your existing zoning bylaw on a complaints-made basis and shut down illegal use that is disrupting our neighbourhoods?” Bell asked.
Jon Popple, Ramara’s manager of community standards, recreation and facilities, noted there is a zero-tolerance policy for those operating, or found to be advertising, without a licence. They are immediately fined. If they continue to violate the bylaw, the township will consider not allowing them to be licensed.
Popple said there is also the ability to put conditions on a licence — for example, revoking it in the event of any additional violations.
No licences have been revoked yet. Some have decided to not renew their licences, but, “typically, the ones we have problems with are the unlicensed locations until they can come online,” he said.
Drayton asked council to consider following the lead of the Town of the Blue Mountains, which does not allow short-term rentals in single detached or semi-detached homes and in residential zones.
Drayton and Bell left council with a number of questions to be answered, including queries about the economic benefit of short-term rentals in Ramara, whether fines and fees cover the salaries of bylaw staff, and why bed-and-breakfasts aren’t also being licensed.
Consultants are working on a report to council regarding potential amendments to the zoning bylaw to regulate short-term rentals, Popple said, adding he will report on statistics from the past year.
Coun. Kal Johnson said he was aware of the concerns about the number of short-term rental properties in close proximity to one another.
“There are too many of them bunching up right now. We are having a major issue in Lagoon City right now and we need to do something as soon as possible,” he said, adding he would bring the matter up at an upcoming meeting.
According to the township website, there are currently 48 licensed short-term rental properties in Ramara.
