Beachfront association head vows to get Doug Ford involved
Raymonde Blais Couture, who lives near Kirkfield, isn't giving up the fight against what she feels is leniency toward landlords of short-term rentals in Kawartha Lakes. - Bill Hodgins/Torstar
If you decide to rent out your cottage this summer, you might want to know what can happen if your tenants make too much noise. - Bill Hodgins/Torstar1 / 3
Raymonde Couture, head of a Kirkfield-area beachfront association and recent municipal council candidate, is visibly frustrated.
There was a time, she says, when you heard ‘summer rental’ and your thoughts turned to kids laughing, families fishing, wiener roasts… traditional activities for city folks who got out of the gridlock for a weekend of rest and relaxation.
Today, the thought of summer rentals – or renters – raises Couture’s blood pressure.
Maybe it’s the nonstop drinking, the reckless tossing of garbage, the rooftop sunbathing, the nudity, and even some inflatable sex dolls.
“There’s no respect,” she says.
For Couture, the short-term rental issue is becoming near obsession. A year ago, she implored the city council to make it a priority. It was a plank on which she based her municipal election platform. And even though she was unsuccessful in getting the seat in the city’s first ward, she’s vowing to put her name forward again.
“It’s not enough,” she says of the municipality’s response to numerous complaints. “They need to be regulated. They should be licensed. I’m going to contact Doug Ford.” She says if the province realized how much it could make through a licensing program, it would surely get on board.
In the city’s defence, it’s had to walk a tightrope in finding the right balance between those like Couture who suffer from the effects of short-term rentals and others who either like to respectfully rent a spot once in a while or those who have come to rely on renting out their cottages for a little extra income. The municipality struggled with the issue in 2017, then last year set out to gauge the interest of its citizens. A public meeting was held at city hall chaired by police, bylaw and municipal officials. As well, the city conducted an online survey that focused on the issues facing residents, renters, and rental owners.
At the meeting, property owner Pino Tiberio said often the problem is that too many rentals become party houses, where upwards of 25 people might arrive for a weekend. Often, absent owners don’t realize how many are staying at their rentals.
“What can we do about excessive noise and fires that go seven or eight feet into the air. They litter. I have a lake filled with beer cans and pop cans.” He said renters leave the garbage there on Sunday but it might be days before it’s picked up, and the renters don’t abide by the clear bag program. “If they’re not picked up soon enough, the animals get into them.”
But others in the crowd cautioned that these concerns don’t affect the majority of rental situations, and overly obtrusive regulations might impact businesses that rely on the tourism industry. “Without short-term rentals, we wouldn’t have been able to buy our cottage,” Christina Cuthbert said.
“We don’t think cottage life should be spoiled by too many regulations.” She said if the city were to ban rentals of less than a month, she would have to put her property up for sale. Most don’t want to rent for long periods, she said. They want it for a weekend or a week… maybe two, but that’s it. “I don’t think anyone should expect peace and quiet all the time. They should be respected but cottage life is about having fun.”
The results of the survey, meanwhile, showed that almost half of the respondents said the city doesn’t need to enforce short-term residential rentals. Only 25 percent felt short-term rentals had a significant negative impact on their neighborhood. Of those who responded to the survey, 17 percent operated a short-term rental in the city while 31 percent had stayed in one. Thirty-three percent said they lived near one.
This year, revisiting the issue, the city put a new policy in place that would ultimately put the onus on the property owner who rents out the cottage. Alix Scarr, a senior licensing officer with the municipality, outlined the policy to council last month.If bylaw enforcement is called to respond to a complaint, the first visit will result in a warning to the property owner, Scarr said. It’s a courtesy call. But if it continues to be a problem, the visits will result in fees. A second call will cost $112, a third is $225, a fourth visit is $445 and a fifth will cost $894. Those fees will continue to double on further complaints, she said. A call-out for comments, a survey and public meetings held over the past year clearly indicated a desire to put more of an onus on property owners when it comes to complaints.
Renters could also face fines under various city bylaws, but since many complaints come in after-hours and on weekends, it’s tough to catch people in the act.
The courtesy call or warning is a big part of the problem, Couture says. They are short-term renters. Calls could keep coming in on the same property, but when it’s new renters each week or weekend, their warning has no effect. Licensing, such as is required for bed and breakfasts, would be a better solution, she believes.
Other municipalities nation-wide are dealing with similar issues. At a public meeting in Charlottetown last month, it was reported that the majority of those favoring regulating the units listed on sites such as Airbnb and VRBO wanted an owner-occupied model. That would mean in order to rent out on one of those sites the unit would also have to be your primary residence. The city is still debating the issue.
In Kelowna, meanwhile, licensing – similar to the solution Couture has sought – has been put in place. A Global News report quoted city business license manager Greg Wise calling short-term rentals “essentially a home business.” For homeowners operating a short-term rental property, that means getting a business license.
Meanwhile, in Kawartha Lakes, municipal officials continue to monitor the situation and collect data. Aaron Sloan, manager of municipal, bylaw enforcement, says since the implementation of the new short-term rental bylaw amendments, there have been a limited amount of municipal law enforcement cases opened for these properties. Only parking tickets have been issued in relation to any short-term renters or property owners.
Short-term rentals are tracked when reported to municipal law enforcement and entered into the city’s complaint tracking system, he says. “We have identified a number of short-term rentals and currently have had six complaints in 2019 that are related directly to a property that has been identified as a short-term rental causing repetitive issues.”
In the meantime, Couture says she and her neighbors will monitor the issue on their own. A beachfront residents meeting is scheduled for July 27 for those who live along McGuire Beach Road near the Kirkfield Lift Lock.
“It’s a nightmare,” Couture says. “There are seven short-term rentals along our road and it’s out of control.” In the past year, she says some area owners have had boats taken from their property, beer cans and bottles are tossed into the water, they run on neighboring properties, they steal wood for fires. “Last summer, there were kids so drunk they were walking around with blow-up sex dolls.” The mandate from the July meeting might mean escalating the issue to the provincial level, she says. “The city doesn’t give a crap about us.”
Note: A sex doll is a type of sex toy in the size and shape of a sexual partner for aid in masturbation.
Article Source: https://www.mykawartha.com/news-story/9498945-summer-rental-nightmare-they-were-walking-around-with-blow-up-sex-dolls-/
Raymonde Blais Couture, who lives near Kirkfield, isn't giving up the fight against what she feels is leniency toward landlords of short-term rentals in Kawartha Lakes. - Bill Hodgins/Torstar
If you decide to rent out your cottage this summer, you might want to know what can happen if your tenants make too much noise. - Bill Hodgins/Torstar1 / 3
Raymonde Couture, head of a Kirkfield-area beachfront association and recent municipal council candidate, is visibly frustrated.
There was a time, she says, when you heard ‘summer rental’ and your thoughts turned to kids laughing, families fishing, wiener roasts… traditional activities for city folks who got out of the gridlock for a weekend of rest and relaxation.
Today, the thought of summer rentals – or renters – raises Couture’s blood pressure.
Maybe it’s the nonstop drinking, the reckless tossing of garbage, the rooftop sunbathing, the nudity, and even some inflatable sex dolls.
“There’s no respect,” she says.
For Couture, the short-term rental issue is becoming near obsession. A year ago, she implored the city council to make it a priority. It was a plank on which she based her municipal election platform. And even though she was unsuccessful in getting the seat in the city’s first ward, she’s vowing to put her name forward again.
“It’s not enough,” she says of the municipality’s response to numerous complaints. “They need to be regulated. They should be licensed. I’m going to contact Doug Ford.” She says if the province realized how much it could make through a licensing program, it would surely get on board.
In the city’s defence, it’s had to walk a tightrope in finding the right balance between those like Couture who suffer from the effects of short-term rentals and others who either like to respectfully rent a spot once in a while or those who have come to rely on renting out their cottages for a little extra income. The municipality struggled with the issue in 2017, then last year set out to gauge the interest of its citizens. A public meeting was held at city hall chaired by police, bylaw and municipal officials. As well, the city conducted an online survey that focused on the issues facing residents, renters, and rental owners.
At the meeting, property owner Pino Tiberio said often the problem is that too many rentals become party houses, where upwards of 25 people might arrive for a weekend. Often, absent owners don’t realize how many are staying at their rentals.
“What can we do about excessive noise and fires that go seven or eight feet into the air. They litter. I have a lake filled with beer cans and pop cans.” He said renters leave the garbage there on Sunday but it might be days before it’s picked up, and the renters don’t abide by the clear bag program. “If they’re not picked up soon enough, the animals get into them.”
But others in the crowd cautioned that these concerns don’t affect the majority of rental situations, and overly obtrusive regulations might impact businesses that rely on the tourism industry. “Without short-term rentals, we wouldn’t have been able to buy our cottage,” Christina Cuthbert said.
“We don’t think cottage life should be spoiled by too many regulations.” She said if the city were to ban rentals of less than a month, she would have to put her property up for sale. Most don’t want to rent for long periods, she said. They want it for a weekend or a week… maybe two, but that’s it. “I don’t think anyone should expect peace and quiet all the time. They should be respected but cottage life is about having fun.”
The results of the survey, meanwhile, showed that almost half of the respondents said the city doesn’t need to enforce short-term residential rentals. Only 25 percent felt short-term rentals had a significant negative impact on their neighborhood. Of those who responded to the survey, 17 percent operated a short-term rental in the city while 31 percent had stayed in one. Thirty-three percent said they lived near one.
This year, revisiting the issue, the city put a new policy in place that would ultimately put the onus on the property owner who rents out the cottage. Alix Scarr, a senior licensing officer with the municipality, outlined the policy to council last month.If bylaw enforcement is called to respond to a complaint, the first visit will result in a warning to the property owner, Scarr said. It’s a courtesy call. But if it continues to be a problem, the visits will result in fees. A second call will cost $112, a third is $225, a fourth visit is $445 and a fifth will cost $894. Those fees will continue to double on further complaints, she said. A call-out for comments, a survey and public meetings held over the past year clearly indicated a desire to put more of an onus on property owners when it comes to complaints.
Renters could also face fines under various city bylaws, but since many complaints come in after-hours and on weekends, it’s tough to catch people in the act.
The courtesy call or warning is a big part of the problem, Couture says. They are short-term renters. Calls could keep coming in on the same property, but when it’s new renters each week or weekend, their warning has no effect. Licensing, such as is required for bed and breakfasts, would be a better solution, she believes.
Other municipalities nation-wide are dealing with similar issues. At a public meeting in Charlottetown last month, it was reported that the majority of those favoring regulating the units listed on sites such as Airbnb and VRBO wanted an owner-occupied model. That would mean in order to rent out on one of those sites the unit would also have to be your primary residence. The city is still debating the issue.
In Kelowna, meanwhile, licensing – similar to the solution Couture has sought – has been put in place. A Global News report quoted city business license manager Greg Wise calling short-term rentals “essentially a home business.” For homeowners operating a short-term rental property, that means getting a business license.
Meanwhile, in Kawartha Lakes, municipal officials continue to monitor the situation and collect data. Aaron Sloan, manager of municipal, bylaw enforcement, says since the implementation of the new short-term rental bylaw amendments, there have been a limited amount of municipal law enforcement cases opened for these properties. Only parking tickets have been issued in relation to any short-term renters or property owners.
Short-term rentals are tracked when reported to municipal law enforcement and entered into the city’s complaint tracking system, he says. “We have identified a number of short-term rentals and currently have had six complaints in 2019 that are related directly to a property that has been identified as a short-term rental causing repetitive issues.”
In the meantime, Couture says she and her neighbors will monitor the issue on their own. A beachfront residents meeting is scheduled for July 27 for those who live along McGuire Beach Road near the Kirkfield Lift Lock.
“It’s a nightmare,” Couture says. “There are seven short-term rentals along our road and it’s out of control.” In the past year, she says some area owners have had boats taken from their property, beer cans and bottles are tossed into the water, they run on neighboring properties, they steal wood for fires. “Last summer, there were kids so drunk they were walking around with blow-up sex dolls.” The mandate from the July meeting might mean escalating the issue to the provincial level, she says. “The city doesn’t give a crap about us.”
Note: A sex doll is a type of sex toy in the size and shape of a sexual partner for aid in masturbation.
Article Source: https://www.mykawartha.com/news-story/9498945-summer-rental-nightmare-they-were-walking-around-with-blow-up-sex-dolls-/
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