The legality of Short Term Rental Licence Fee Increases of 200% in Ramara Ontario, Canada

[Brian883]

Our local township council recently posted an announcement of a proposed STR licence fee application/renewal increase of 200% or from $1,000-$3,000/yr and were holding a meeting to vote on it 12 days later! We never had much notice to prepare and they voted it through! They didn't allow us to question them as to why?  Couldn't ask for a detailed accounting to support such a large increase and why are they pushing it through so fast! The rumors are that some of the council members were voted in with getting rid of STR's going to be there agenda. So what they are doing is making it so expensive that we, as STR hosts can't afford it.

This is precedent setting in Canada to charge this much for a licence fee and if it stands there will be a ripple effect across Canada! Every city, town, municipality etc will be looking at this as a revenue source! If this happens there will be less hosts which means less service fees for Airbnb! If that happens in large scale it hurts all of us!

We have formed a small group of STR hosts and retained a lawyer to bring this decision into a legal forum! We are going to need financial help to see this all the way through and stop this insane, precedent-setting increase! This is the fight Airbnb should be involved in otherwise it will start happening everywhere! 

[Fred13]

That's the common trick, make it a new 'law' before those that will be affected by it do not have a chance to block it. Next step?  Replace the town council members. Good luck.

[Brian883]

Hi Fred, that's a great thought! The inmates are running the asylum!...What we really need is financial help from the STR community including the platforms themselves, to put an end to this precedent-setting trend. We are approaching this matter with legal representation and that costs $!

[Helen3]

If you need financial help the best way to get this is for affected hosts in your community to contribute as they will be the ones to benefit if your legal fight is successful @Brian883 

[Brian883]

Hi Helen, that's a great idea but in this small township there are not enough of them. We need every STR operation from all platforms to jump in across the Country to chip in otherwise this will be viewed by their local governments as some sort of revenue source! 😳

[Saeid10]

Hi @Brian883  , I really love to join but as I am new to ramara myself I have the biggest difficulty of even getting a license since my place falls within the 300 meter rule ? Or else I’m in all the way. More tourism means more money coming in the town . Businesses strive and people can go to work too. Generator if more work . Same concept as innisfill (Friday harbor ) . If I knew it’s this Strict I would have bought 2 properties in Florida and enjoyed sunny weather all year round. Any how I’m in , you can reach me and I am happy to give out my number . 

[Denice0]

@Brian883 it happened in our small mountain community in Estes Park, CO.  The Board of Trustees decide the short-term vacation homes should pay for the town's workforce housing program.  We didn't get to vote on this new tax on our business license!  This year, for 3 small studio units, the license went from $650 per year to $4,820 per year!!   Over a 7-fold increase!

Vote the Board of Trustees out.  After 12 years of renting, not sure if we will survive this one. 

[Brian883]

That's absolutely ridiculous unless they have had major problems but what it really sounds like is the hotels etc., are paying council [board of trustees] or at least putting pressure on them to get rid of them! We have never had a problem renting until the township council got involved licensing short term rentals in 2921! Because of a previous council deciding to implement licenses on 50' lots on every other lot in one community, it's no wonder there were complaints! Some of the new council come in with a platform to get rid of them, realized they couldn't, now making it too expensive!

[Saeid10]

Hi brian , thanks for those contacts . Whoever sees this messages I am in with the legal business , I need to get my license. I recently got my cottage not knowing about the regulation of the town and so I’m in a pickle. Having said that I think STR companies should start to fight for us like Uber fought for their drivers . I mean we have bigger investments and bigger restrictions, this is really unfair , if we can group up and make a pack it will be expensive but would definitely help fight the case. I know some people who already won in October but this makes it harder the 2nd time around, they keep on changing the rules . In addition we have to contact Airbnb as well to start fighting for us as well. We are loosing tourism in this country.

my contact us **[Phone number hidden due to safety reasons - Community Center Guidelines], let’s squash this 300m rule. It’s our property , we pay out taxes x3 and we should be able to do what we like inside it. 

[Stacey428]

Hi I’d like to get involved too

**[E-mail address & phone number hidden - Community Center Guidelines]

[Brian883]

Hi Saeid, I have another 2 STR owners in the same boat as you are and have their names and phone numbers. **[Phone number hidden due to safety reasons - Community Center Guidelines]

[Brian883]

Hi Hello, Ty for your reply!...We have rounded up a number of owners and have hired a lawyer. It's absolutely ridiculous what they are trying to do which is to make it so expensive to operate that STR owners will leave! It's obvious what they are trying to do

[Frances3408]

@Brian883. Just a thought, have you tried seeking support from local businesses dependant on tourists? I dont know what the composition of accommodation is in your town but in ours there's only the local motel with pub for 10ks in all directions and we hosts send a lot of business their way as well; especially those prepared to spend higher dollars in restaurants, wineries etc (and we let them know this). Sometimes the local businesses have more sway with the councillors. At such short notice at least try to go armed to the meeting with a few testimonials.

Yes, it might take a legal person to determine whether the extra fee is legal or not. Over here  Brisbane council has started to implement a rates variation based on accessing STR big data kindly supplied by Deckard Technologies, a US based company!. Maybe we should ask Airbnb to stop making our data so available 😞

[Brian883]

Those are great ideas! We have a lawyer but need the time to search out businesses that will be affected!

[Saeid10]

@Brian883 I’m in

**[Phone number hidden due to safety reasons - Community Center Guidelines]