Short-term rentals must continue to comply with City of Toronto bylaw as Province of Ontario lifts emergency order

Yesterday, the Province of Ontario announced that short-term rentals would be allowed to resume operations beginning today, following an amendment to an order under the Province of Ontario’s Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act and are now considered an essential business. In Toronto, short-term rentals are regulated by the City’s Zoning By-laws and Licensing and Registration of Short-Term Rentals Bylaw and any resumption of operation must be in accordance with these bylaws.

Under the City’s bylaws:

• People can host short-term rentals in their principal residence only – both homeowners and tenants can participate.
• Short-term rentals (any rental that is for a period of less than 28 consecutive days) are permitted across the city in all housing types in residential zones and the residential component of mixed-use zones.
• People who live in secondary suites and laneway suites can also participate, as long as the secondary suite/laneway suite is their principal residence.
• Short-term rental companies will be required to be licensed with the City of Toronto in order to carry on business.
• Short-term rental operators (people renting their homes on a short-term basis) will be required to register with the City of Toronto.

Prior to the declaration of an Emergency in Toronto, the City was moving forward with a phased approach to implementing the Licensing and Registration of Short-Term Rentals By-law, which came into effect in November 2019. Many City services have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as resources have been redirected to emergency response and recovery. This has impacted implementation timelines which were working to create online registration, licensing and enforcement systems for short-term rental companies and operators. The City is currently working to determine new implementation timelines.

The City continues to respond to short-term rental issues on a complaint basis.

Once the COVID-19 emergency period ends and provincial orders are lifted, the City will fully resume regular enforcement of all City bylaws.

More information about short-term rentals can be found at toronto.ca/shorttermrentals.

The City’s website is updated daily with the latest health advice and information about City services, social supports and economic recovery measures. Check toronto.ca/covid-19 for answers to common questions before contacting the Toronto Public Health COVID-19 Hotline or 311.

Toronto is home to more than 2.9 million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit toronto.ca or follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CityofToronto, on Instagram at instagram.com/cityofto or on Facebook at facebook.com/cityofto.