Short-term accommodations are residential, private dwellings that are rented to provide sleeping accommodations to a paying guest for a limited amount of time (generally less than 28 days).  Short-term accommodations come in many forms.  Some are similar to bed and breakfast accommodations, with the property owner present to host and share living space with the renters.  Other accommodations are for an entire dwelling unit, where the property owner is not on-site and does not share space with the host.  In general, short-term accommodations are to provide accommodation on a nightly or weekly basis, and are not intended for residential tenancy during the short-term rental period. It is a temporary arrangement and the tourist/travellers do not use the dwelling as a permanent home.  There are many online platforms for short-term accommodations which have active listings for vacation rentals in Kingston, including Airbnb, VRBO, and others.

Short-term accommodations are not defined in the City's zoning bylaws.  However, there are restrictions in each zoning bylaw for how a private dwelling can be used.  Zoning permissions limit the extent to which a private dwelling or rental unit can be made available to the rental market. Generally, the use of a residential unit is limited to a single family (i.e., one or more persons residing together and comprising a single domestic household) and up to three roomers or boarders. These limitations are largely intended to uphold compliance with Ontario Building Code (OBC) and Fire Code requirements which relate to life safety matters. The City's zoning bylaws do not regulate the length of time a residential unit may be rented.

No, the emergence of Airbnb, VRBO, FlipKey and other short-term accommodation websites have created a global boom in short-term accommodations, and contrary to in the past, these rentals are spread all over the country. Kingston's short-term accommodation market is currently experiencing year-over-year growth in excess of 100 percent.  Traditional residential communities that have never dealt with the consequences of transient populations are now facing the new opportunities and challenges presented by the short-term accommodation boom.

Any persons wishing to operate a short-term accommodation should contact the City's Planning Department to understand applicable zoning constraints at 613-546-3180 ext. 3180 or planning@cityofkingston.ca. 

It is also encouraged that anyone interested in operating a short-term accommodation should participate in our public discussion about short-term accommodations via the online survey and by attending the public workshop. 

There are two main avenues for regulating short-term accommodations: through zoning bylaws and through licensing requirements. How short-term accommodations are defined and restricted varies amongst jurisdictions. The main issues that other jurisdictions have identified in dealing with short-term accommodations include:

• Pressure on civic services;
• Impact on the cost or availability of housing;
• Impact on neighbours and neighbourhoods;
• Loss of municipal revenue (operating a commercial enterprise while paying residential property taxes); and
• Unfair competitive advantage over more regulated accommodators (hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts).

Some jurisdictions do not allow for short-term accommodations in residences at all.  However it is more common to restrict the use under specified conditions, such as use of a principal residence only (i.e. let people rent their homes while they are away but the home is used as a residence most of the time), restrictions on rental of a whole unit (where the host is not present during the stay) by limiting how many days within a given year this can occur, or by limiting the zones within which short-term accommodations are permitted.

All residents of Kingston, including short-term accommodation operators, are invited to participate in the public consultation process.  There is a wide array of opinions and viewpoints regarding short-term accommodations, and the City wants to hear all perspectives.  Planning Staff will be considering all feedback received during public consultation in their final information report, regardless of whether the feedback comes from a short-term accommodation owner or otherwise.