Short-term rental accommodation (STRA) properties, such as those offered through booking applications like VRBO and Airbnb, are permitted in residential areas under the City's Zoning By-law, provided they aren't the primary use of the property. The property must operate first and foremost as a full-time residence.
Requirements for permitted STRAs under the Zoning By-law:
- Defined as a home-based business
- The unit is rented for a period not exceeding 28 consecutive days
- STRA is the primary residence of the operator (owner / tenant)
- Can operate out of any residence, but must be secondary use of the property as a home-based business
- Provision of one parking space per bedroom (City Council approved an amendment to the City's Zoning By-law to permit tandem parking bed and breakfast STRAs on Nov. 4, 2024. This is subject to appeal until Dec. 2, 2024)
- For a short-term rental, the entire dwelling unit is rented where the operator is not present, as opposed to a bed and breakfast where the operator is present and hosts guests within their dwelling unit
Licensing process
The City has established a Short-Term Rental Accommodation By-law and Administrative Monetary Penalties System for the operation of STRAs. Operators must obtain a licence, like any other business, to operate a STRA.
Licences are issued for two years. An application fee must be paid before your application is processed, and, while the City will work with applicants to ensure their success, if possible, money will not be returned if the application cannot be approved.
The City has established a monetary penalty system and demerit point system for STRA operators under which monetary and operational penalties, including suspension of a licence, can be issued for various infractions.
| Short-term Rental Accommodation Licence Application Process |
| Prepare your application materials |
| You will be required to submit a site plan, floor plans, parking management plan, fire protocol, fire safety plan if the residence contains five or more bedrooms, fire protocol, proof of insurance, electrical safety certificate, proof of property ownership / lease agreement, and photos. Consult our Short-term Rental Accommodation Application Checklist further down on this page for more information on specific requirements. |
| Apply |
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Once you have all the necessary documentation you can submit your application online. Please note that you will have to register for the Building Permit Application Portal before you can begin your application. Register and get a PIN If you require assistance using the Building Permit Application Portal contact building@stcatharines.ca. |
| Make payment |
| Before staff begin processing your application you must pay the application fee. The fee is $534.05, and licences must be renewed after two years. Make sure you have your application's reference number; it is contained in your application's submission confirmation email. Call 905.688.5601 ext. 1660 to pay via credit card over the phone or book an appointment with Planning and Building Services to make your payment in person at City Hall. |
| Ensure You Understand MAT Requirements |
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As of Jan. 1, 2023, the City of St. Catharines requires a Municipal Accommodation Tax be applied to all short-term rental stays. Effective that date, homeowners or tenants / lessees who operate a short-term rental must collect and remit a two per cent tax on all stays / rentals. Find out more and register your property. |
Application Checklist |
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As part of the application, you will be required to submit a variety of supporting documents. You should have these ready before launching the online application. Individual file sizes will be limited to five megabytes. The following file types are permitted: .jpg, .png, .jpg, .pdf, .doc, .docx. Site PlanA site plan is a sketch that indicates the location of the short-term rental premises on the property, adjacent roadways, and any external garbage / recycling facilities. This sketch basically encompasses the layout of the entire property, marking building placement. Floor PlansFloor Plans are interior drawings clearly indicating location and number of rooms and proposed total occupancy limit. The plans should include dimensions, descriptions of proposed use, and the proposed number of beds for each room in the building / unit. Think of this as an overhead map of the interior of the residence with the information above. Please be aware that bed and breakfasts are not permitted more than four rented rooms. Parking Management PlanA Parking Management Plan consists of a scale drawing depicting the size, surface material, and location(s) of all parking spaces intended to be used for parking on the premises. Under zoning requirements there must be one parking space per bedroom in the STR or Bed and Breakfast. On-street parking may not be included, and all identified parking areas must be designed for such a purpose. The plan must be compliant with the City’s Zoning By-law and the Traffic By-law. Much like the site plan this is an overhead map of the property clearly marking parking spaces / facilities with the information mentioned above. Dimensions for a standard parking space:
Please consult the Zoning By-law for more information. Should there be no appeal to the Zoning Amendment to permit tandem parking by December 2nd, 2024, tandem parking will be permitted in Bed and Breakfast Short-term Rental Accommodations. Please note, all identified parking spaces must be located within the property boundary. Operators can use the Region’s Niagara Navigator tool, using the 2020 Imagery Basemap Gallery and Assessment Parcels layer, to identify their property’s boundary. Sample Short-Term Rental Accommodation Parking Management Plan Fire Safety ProtocolA fire safety protocol is a protocol which contains an outline of actions for an occupant to take in the event of a fire emergency, the location of all fire-related safety equipment, a floor plan of the premises indicating the location of all emergency exits, contact information containing the name, phone number and e-mail address of the owner or long-term tenant. This plan would appear like the floor plan, but instead of marking dimensions and number of beds, would identify exits in the case of an emergency, in addition to fire safety equipment such as extinguishers and alarms. An example of this would be the fire safety map found on the back of a hotel room door. Fire Safety Plan (five or more bedrooms)A Fire Safety Plan is required for STRs with five or more bedrooms. This does not apply to bed and breakfasts as they cannot have more than four bedrooms rented out. A Fire Safety Plan deals with all aspects of fire safety at a building or property. It is specific to each property and ensures that all occupants and staff are aware of what actions to take in an emergency as well and outlines the owner's roles and responsibilities in general and during an emergency. The plan covers maintenance requirements of the building's fire and life safety features and includes information for Fire Services in the event of an emergency response at a property, such as floor plans; locations of shut offs and equipment; and contact names and numbers. View our Fire Safety page for more information. Proof of insuranceYou will be required to submit a certificate of insurance which confirms that the applicant has in place at the time of the application, general liability insurance which can form part of or is included in a “home sharing”, “host insurance”, “short-term rental” or other similar type of insurance of not less than $2 million per occurrence including property damage and bodily injury, and if requested, that the City be included as an additional insured, but only with respect to the Applicant’s operation of the premises as a Short-term Rental. Electrical Safety CertificateAn Electrical Safety Certificate can be issued by licensed electrician dated within 12 months of the date of the application, indicating the premises and its proposed use comply with the Electrical Safety Code. Proof of property ownership / lease agreementYou will need to provide a copy of the transfer/deed proving you own the property. If you rent your residence that you will be operating as a short-term rental you will need to provide a copy of your rental/lease agreement for premises and written authorization from the property owner providing consent for operation of a short-term rental. Interior / exterior photosYou must provide interior and exterior photos of the building frontage, rear yard, bedrooms, hallways, living / common area, and cooking areas. One of each room is required. |
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Demerit Point system |
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The STR licensing by-law includes non-monetary penalties by establishing a system of demerit points associated with various infractions ranging from Fire and Building Code violations to waste, parking and noise related issues. Infractions carry point weights ranging from two to 10 points. Demerit points will remain active against a licence for two years, with penalties incurred at the accumulation of five, 10 and 15 points. Penalties include:
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Administrative Monetary Penalty System |
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Establishing an Administrative Monetary Penalty System (AMPS) allows the City to levee monetary penalties against properties operating as STRS for violations of the City’s licensing by-law. Under the system we can administer monetary penalties through an internal process, alleviating the need for taxpayer-funded resources to pursue convictions through Provincial Offences Courts. Penalties under the AMPS range from $100 to $1,000. A monetary penalty is assessed and imposed in the form of a penalty notice with a prescribed date and time for payment. Rather than going to court to dispute a fine in front of a judge, an individual can dispute an administrative penalty with a screening or hearing officer.
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