This is a welcome change…

This is a welcome change. Thank you for listening.

In the City of Cambridge we bought a house to convert to two-units (no external renovations). We need a minor variance as the secondary unit was 40% above the principal unit. It is hard to find a house you can convert, so rules need to be flexible. The Committee of Adjustment denied us because we weren't going to live there - we were creating 2 units instead of 1. We appealed to OLT and won. But it resulted in a lenghty and costly process.

We bought a large lot in Wasaga Beach with a small cottage. We can't create a basement suite due to water levels and an addition is not practical. The Town requires an Official Plan Amenemdnet and Zoning By-Law Amendment to put a coach house in the backyard. This is not practicle and there is no guarantee of approval.

However, as of right zoning should not be permitted in flooding and erosion hazards, in or within 30 m of wetlands, woodlands, ANSIs, watercourses if there are no intervening lands. Don't create a greater impact.

We strongly enourage you to also update the Residential Tenancies Act. One of our worries is getting a tenant that will milk the system and not pay rent for 8 months and destroy the place. If you rent a hotel, you have to pay. If you rent on AirBnB you must pay upfront. If you go to Walmart you must pay for what you use. It is not fair for 'mom and pop' landlords or anyone to provide free housing. Mortgages, property taxes, and utilities are very expensive. If someone does not pay rent a landlord should be able to evict them without a court hearing. Tightening up this Act could provide peace of mind for many, where the financial risk of being a landlord is simply to high.

We were also suprised that in Wasaga Beach, 250 m from the beach and across from the Nottawasaga River, we cannot rent our 950 sq ft cottage on a weekly basis. If we cannot use the cottage because the kids are playing hockey, another family should be able to enjoy it. Ontario needs to introduce rules to allow limited short-term rentals (e.g. 40% of the year such that it is secondary) in tourist areas. Most families cannot afford to buy a cottage or rent for a minimum period of 31 days or don't have that much vacation time to come to Wasaga. Our family does not want to rent to people for an entire month as we want to use it ourselves. Our house is also not big enough for a bed and breakfast, which the Town permits.

There needs to be recognition that cottages are not housing. Stringent rules are hindering tourism. Wasaga Beach, the world's longest freshwater beach, should be a world class tourist destination. But people need affordable accommodation. Many of the hotels are scary and have turned into social housing. Those vacationing enjoy privacy, having a backyard for their dog, cooking facilities and not having to socialize with a host such as in the case of a bed and breakfast. I do not understand why bed and breakfasts are permitted, but STR are not. A family or retired couple does not need to be supervised.

What right does a municipality have to tell me what length of time I can rent? Whether someone stays for a week, 28 days, or 31 days they are all sleeping, eating and using washroom facilities.

Muncipalities are taking a heavy handed approach, which is not in the best interests of being 'Open for Business'. It does not make the best use of land, as additional accommodation is than required.