Short-term property rentals (STRs) have become a major concern in Haliburton. While informal cottage rentals have a long Haliburton tradition, the use of applications such as Airbnb and VRBO has changed the landscape. There has been dramatic growth in the number of rentals, with many dedicated to 100% rental occupation and with minimal oversight/property management.
An increasing number of our DSLPOA members are being adversely affected. At our last DSLPOA AGM, the topic was raised as a concern. From the AGM minutes as issued:
“A discussion ensued about concerns with the expansion of short-term rentals, with large numbers, threatening the lake environment and conduct on and around the lake. Noted was that there were large numbers of cottages now being rented, many appearing to be full-time business enterprises. On a vote, the members voted unanimously to say that they were concerned about the impact of short-term rentals on the lake environment.”
Commercial rentals, without regulation, can adversary affect a lake’s environment (noise and light pollution, septic system overload, etc.)
Our municipal government has recognized this problem and is working to define regulations to address it. Here is a recent summary of the status from the Haliburton Echo – https://haliburtonecho.ca/county-inches-closer-to-short-term-property-rental-regulations/
Following up on the AGM action, DSLPOA is providing this brief survey to capture the opinions of our members. The results will be shared with members and will be submitted unaltered to the municipal government officials.
We have tried to boil down the STR debate into its key points. Please feel free to add more. We ask that you answer True or False to each, but given the complexity of the topic, please add your personal comments and experiences as applicable:
