Short-Term Accommodation Licensing Program
Short-term accommodation (“STA”) means the use of a dwelling unit, or any part thereof, as a home occupation that is operating or offering a place of temporary residence, lodging, or occupancy by way of concession, permit, lease, licence, rental agreement or similar commercial arrangement for any period of thirty (30) consecutive calendar days or less, throughout all or any part of a calendar year. STA does not mean or include a hotel, motel, or similar commercial accommodation use, but does include a bed and breakfast.
On November 6, 2023, Council approved a phased implementation of the STA Licensing Program and the STA Licensing By-law 2023-085 (“Licensing By-law 2023-085”) to licence and regulate STAs in Collingwood. The Licensing By-law 2023-085 and Phase 1 of the Licensing Program came into effect on February 1, 2024.
In Collingwood, it is prohibited to use a dwelling unit or any part of one as a STA, with the exception of a bed and breakfast. Under Phase 1, all bed and breakfasts must obtain a “Class A—Guest Room STA” Licence to operate. It's important to note that all other types of STAs remain prohibited during Phase 1.
Explore the details and resources below to learn more about the application process, licensing requirements, and how this initiative will shape the future of STAs in Collingwood. Together, let’s create a vibrant, responsible, and welcoming community for everyone who calls Collingwood home or chooses to visit this beautiful Town!
Town-Initiated Zoning By-law Amendment
On November 6, 2023, Council directed staff to proceed with a Town-initiated Zoning By-law Amendment to support the introduction of other types of STAs beyond bed and breakfasts.
Take notice that a public meeting on the proposed Town-initiated Zoning By-law Amendment occurred during the regular Council meeting on Wednesday, May 22, 2024. For more information and to view updates on the proposed Zoning By-law Amendment, please visit the Town’s STA Engage Page at https://engage.collingwood.ca/short-term-accommodations/.
- Update! Staff Report P2024-23 "Municipally Initiated Short-Term Accommodation Zoning By-law Amendment (Town-Wide)" will be presented for Committee's consideration at its meeting on September 9, 2024. View the full Committee agenda.
Apply for your Short-Term Accommodation Licence by following the steps outlined below.
Before applying, please review the applicable laws, licence requirements, and the Licence Application Package to verify your eligibility for a Short-Term Accommodation Licence.
- Short-Term Accommodation Licensing By-law 2023-085
- Zoning By-law 2010-040 Consolidated December 11, 2023
- Property Standards By-law 2016-040
- Building By-law 2019-039
- Building Code Act, 1992, S.O. 1992, c. 23 (e.g., construct without a permit)
- Ontario Fire Code
- Noise By-law 2018-032
- Open Air Burning By-law 2015-097
- County of Simcoe Solid Waste Management By-law 6256
Please complete the Short-Term Accommodation Licence Application Package and provide the required documentation to apply for a Short-Term Accommodation Licence.
Please submit the Licence Application Package, including required documentation and applicable fees.
Please note that for the Program’s first year, Class A Licensees will not be required to pay the $1,250.00 licensing fee. However, applicants are responsible for paying the $253.50 fee, which includes a zoning certificate ($45), fire inspection ($120), and property standards compliance letter ($88.50). These fees are outlined in the 2024 Fees and Service Charges By-law and are required prior to the review of an application.
STA licence applications are being accepted until a total of 200 licences have been issued. Once 200 licences have been issued, new applications will be placed on a waitlist until the number of issued licences falls below the set limit of 200 per Licensing By-law 2023-085.
How to apply
- By e-mail to bylaw@collingwood.ca with the required documents attached. The full payment of $253.50 must be made by cash, cheque, debit, or credit card at Town Hall (97 Hurontario Street) following application submission. An application will not be reviewed until full payment has been made.
- In-person at Town Hall, located at 97 Hurontario Street, Collingwood. Payment can be made at Town Hall via cash, cheque, debit, or credit card.
- Mail directed to the attention of the “By-law Services Division” at 97 Hurontario Street, PO Box 157, Collingwood, ON L9Y 3Z5, along with your cheque payment made out to “Town of Collingwood”.
- Drop box located at Town Hall, located at 97 Hurontario Street, with the envelope marked, “Attn: By-law Services Division,” along with your cheque payment made out to “Town of Collingwood”.
The Application Package and required documentation will be reviewed, and staff will reach out to you with any questions. If the application is missing information or does not comply with the requirements, the applicant will be advised of the additions or amendments required and will be given five days to update the application or provide any missing documentation. Failure to do so will require the submission of a new application.
Once the application review is complete, the applicant will be contacted to schedule a fire inspection with the Fire Department and the licensing and property standards inspection with the By-law Services Division. If the inspections reveal that the premises do not comply with the requirements, a verbal or written notice or order may be issued to the property owner to remedy the issue(s). If an applicant fails to comply with the notice or order within ten days after the compliance date, their application will be deemed incomplete, and a new application will need to be submitted.
Upon compliance with the requirements and satisfactory fire, licensing, and property standards inspections, staff will contact you to issue the Short-Term Accommodation Licence.
This interactive map shows the status of short-term accommodation applications and licences within the Town. The map includes specific details regarding the short-term accommodation, including the licence number and address, as well as the name and contact details of the Responsible Person. Please note that this information is constantly being updated and may not reflect recent submissions.
STA is defined in Licensing By-law 2023-085 as “the use of a Dwelling Unit, or any part thereof, as a home occupation, that is operating or offering a place of temporary residence, lodging or occupancy by way of concession, permit, lease, licence, rental agreement or similar commercial arrangement for any period of thirty (30) consecutive calendar days or less, throughout all or any part of a calendar year. For greater certainty, STA shall not mean or include a hotel, motel, or similar commercial accommodation use, but shall include a bed and breakfast as set out in the Town’s Zoning By-law, as amended or superseded”.
In short, a STA is any rental accommodation provided in a dwelling, or part of one, for 30 days or less, in the Town of Collingwood.
The Town’s Zoning By-Law 2010-040 defines bed and breakfast as “a type of home occupation engaged in providing short-term accommodation.”
Under the Licensing By-Law 2023-085, bed and breakfasts are classified as a “Class A – Guest Room STA Licence.”
Currently, the Town prohibits STAs except for bed and breakfasts through the Town's Zoning By-Law 2010-040 Consolidated December 11, 2023. Specifically, subsection 4.22.2 states, “except for a bed and breakfast, no dwelling unit shall be used as short-term accommodation.”
If you are interested in obtaining a Class A Licence, please review the relevant provisions under the Town’s Zoning By-Law 2010-040 Consolidated December 11, 2023, and the Licensing By-law 2023-085 to confirm eligibility for a licence.
Note: Apart from bed and breakfasts, the prohibition of STAs will continue to apply throughout Phase 1. Please ensure you are complying with the Town’s By-laws to avoid fines.
Under Phase 1, all bed and breakfasts in Town must obtain a “Class A—Guest Room STA" Licence to operate. All other types of STAs are currently prohibited under the Town’s Zoning By-Law 2010-040.
At this time, residents interested in operating a bed and breakfast or those looking to continue their bed and breakfast operations can apply for a Class A Licence as of February 1, 2024.
Application materials, instructions, and example documents are available on this webpage under “Application Process.”
How to apply:
- By e-mail to bylaw@collingwood.ca with the required documents attached. Payment of $253.50 must be made by cash, cheque, debit, or credit card, following application submission. An application will not be reviewed until full payment has been made.
- In-person to Town Hall, located at 97 Hurontario Street, Collingwood. Payment can be made at Town Hall with cash, cheque, debit, or credit card.
- Mail directed to the “By-law Services Division” at 97 Hurontario Street, PO Box 157, Collingwood, ON L9Y 3Z5, along with your cheque payment made out to “Town of Collingwood”.
- Drop box located at Town Hall, 97 Hurontario Street, with the envelope marked, “Attn: By-law Services Division,” along with your cheque payment made out to “Town of Collingwood”.
As set out in Section 13.0 of the Licensing By-law 2023-085, any person convicted under the By-law is liable upon a first conviction, a maximum fine of $25,000, or upon a subsequent conviction, a maximum fine of $50,000.
Where the person convicted is a corporation, the corporation is liable upon a first conviction a maximum fine of not more than $50,000 or upon any subsequent conviction a maximum fine of not more than $100,000.
On November 6, 2023, Council approved a phased implementation of the STA Licensing Program and the Licensing By-law 2023-085 through Staff Report #C2023-24.
Phase 1 leverages existing provisions in the Official Plan and Zoning By-Law 2010-040 and introduces a licensing requirement for bed and breakfasts in Collingwood. All bed and breakfast establishments will be required to apply for a “Class A – Guest Room STA Licence” as of February 1, 2024.
Council also directed staff to proceed with a Town-initiated Zoning By-law Amendment to support the introduction of other potential types of STA licences (e.g., rental of an entire dwelling unit).
Following the approval of a Zoning By-law Amendment, staff will report back to Council with an update on Phase 1 implementation, any necessary revisions to the Licensing By-law for Phase 2, and a plan for rolling out Phase 2 of the Licensing Program. Pending Council approval, the Town may permit other types of STA licences.
Yes, the number of active STA licences within the Town of Collingwood shall not exceed 200 at any given time.
STA licence applications are being accepted until a total of 200 licences have been issued. Once 200 licences have been issued, new applications will be placed on a waitlist until the number of issued licences falls below the limit of 200 per Licensing By-law 2023-085.
For the Program’s first year, Class A Licensees will not be required to pay the $1,250.00 licensing fee. However, applicants will still be responsible for paying $253.50 to cover the cost of a zoning certificate, fire inspection and property standards compliance letter, which are set out in the 2024 Fees and Service Charges By-law and required prior to review of an application.
Please note that if a re-inspection or additional Town services are required, these costs will be charged to the applicant in accordance with the Fees and Service Charges By-law.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Zoning Certificate | $45.00 |
| Fire Inspection | $120.00 |
| Property Standards Compliance Letter | $88.50 |
| Class A Licence - FIrst Year Total Cost: | $253.50 |
Yes, licences expire one year after the licence has been issued.
The Licensee must ensure that a renewal application has been submitted to the Town no later than 30 days before the expiry of the current term.
Yes, as noted under “Step 5” of the Application Process, two Town inspections must occur before a licence is issued. One will be conducted by a Municipal Law Enforcement Officer, who will inspect for compliance with the Licensing By-law 2023-085 and Property Standards By-law 2016-040, and the other will be conducted by a Fire Prevention Inspector or Officer, who will inspect for compliance with the Ontario Fire Code, including any smoke alarms, carbon monoxide alarms, and fire extinguishers. After your licence application is reviewed, you will be contacted to arrange the on-site inspections.
If you have an immediate concern, please contact the STA's Responsible Person by locating the STA on the interactive map under the “Short-Term Accommodation Licence Status” section. The Responsible Person is appointed by the Licensee to respond to any concerns or complaints about the use of the property.
If you would like to report a potential By-law violation, please contact the By-law Services Division and the matter will be directed to STA Licensing or the appropriate department for investigation.
- Submit an online complaint through the Public Portal
- Contact Service Collingwood at 705-445-1030
For after-hours noise complaints, please contact the OPP non-emergency line at 1-888-310-1122.
Properties are subject to all Town By-laws, including parking, noise, and property standards, as well as the Ontario Fire and Building Codes.
Yes, please contact the By-law Services Division, and the matter will be directed to STA Licensing for investigation.
- Submit an online complaint through the Public Portal
- Contact Service Collingwood at 705-445-1030
Where the Licensing Officer has denied an applicant a licence, a renewal of a licence, or has suspended, revoked or terminated a Licence, the Licensing Officer will inform the applicant or licensee by way of written notice. If you disagree with this decision regarding your STA application or licence, you can initiate an appeal by submitting a Notice of Appeal to the Licensing Officer. The request for an appeal must be made within fourteen (14) business days of service of the written notice, setting forth the reasons for the appeal, along with payment of the required non-refundable fee of $250.00.
The STA Licencing Program provides a system of regulation for STAs that aims to:
- Minimize neighbourhood issues and respect neighbourhood character;
- Minimize the effects on long-term rental and housing supply;
- Protect the health and safety of residents and visitors;
- Improve compliance with enforcement;
- Establish a fair and balanced approach to regulation; and
- Support tourism and opportunities for residents to earn supplemental income.
The Town of Collingwood undertook an extensive review of STAs, including the commonly reported challenges, opportunities, benefits, and best practices.
Prior to the passage of the Licensing By-law 2023-085, staff solicited feedback from the community on STAs through two public consultations conducted between August 11 and September 30, 2022, and June 19 to July 31, 2023.
For more information on the background process of the Licensing By-law 2023-085, please visit the “Short-Term Accommodation Background” Engage Page.
The creation of Collingwood’s STA Licensing Program was a thorough and inclusive process that involved multiple stages of extensive policy review and development. The initiative included two public consultations, inviting valuable input and perspectives on STAs from our residents and stakeholders. Several staff reports were presented to Council, ensuring that every aspect of the STA policy development was meticulously considered and aligned with the needs and values of the community. This section details the steps taken in the formulation of the STA Licensing Program.
For more information on the background process of Licensing By-law 2023-085, please visit the Short-Term Accommodations Engage Page.
For issues related to STAs in the Town, please contact the By-law Services Division via the following methods:
- Submit an online complaint through the Public Portal
- Contact Service Collingwood at 705-445-1030
- For after-hours noise complaints, please contact the OPP non-emergency line at 1-888-310-1122
For questions or more information on the STA Licensing Program, please contact Amanda Fone, Licensing and Compliance Officer:
- Email: afone@collingwood.ca
- Phone: 705-445-1030 ext. 3249