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Please complete the 2021 Short Term Rental Survey! Note: The survey has been extended, now open until January 31, 2022.
To build on the information collected from the 2019 survey, we've prepared a follow-up survey to gather feedback on proposed approaches to regulating short term rentals in HRM.
Short-Term Rentals (STRs) are temporary overnight accommodations rented out for a few nights or weeks at a time. In recent years, the prevalence and popularity of STRs has grown through online platforms like Airbnb, VRBO and HomeAway. While STRs provide a unique form of a tourist accommodation and can have benefits for the local economy, their recent popularity raises concerns about their impact on residential neighborhoods and the availability of properties for long-term rental.
On September 30, 2020 Regional Council directed staff to:
Amend the Regional Plan and all applicable secondary municipality planning strategies and land use by-laws to establish consistent regional wide policies, definitions, and regulations for STRs in residential areas; and
Develop STR registration requirements
This direction was in response to the September 2020 staff report, which provided a jurisdictional review of STR legislation throughout Canada and the USA, along with the results of the 2019 survey. The September 2020 staff report recommended that, in developing STR regulations, staff should consider the following:
Require all STRs to register with the Municipality. This would include STRs that are located within the host’s primary residence and STRs located in the hosts secondary residence (cottage) or income property(ies);
Within residential zones/neighbourhoods, only permit STRs in the host’s primary residences;
Within neighbouhoods where hotels or other types of tourist accommodations are already permitted, allow commercial STRs; and
Consider modified provisions for STRs in rural areas.
Should you have any questions regarding the content of the survey or wish to further discuss potential STR regulation, please contact Jamy-Ellen Klenavic at klenavj@halifax.ca.
Please complete the 2021 Short Term Rental Survey! Note: The survey has been extended, now open until January 31, 2022.
To build on the information collected from the 2019 survey, we've prepared a follow-up survey to gather feedback on proposed approaches to regulating short term rentals in HRM.
Short-Term Rentals (STRs) are temporary overnight accommodations rented out for a few nights or weeks at a time. In recent years, the prevalence and popularity of STRs has grown through online platforms like Airbnb, VRBO and HomeAway. While STRs provide a unique form of a tourist accommodation and can have benefits for the local economy, their recent popularity raises concerns about their impact on residential neighborhoods and the availability of properties for long-term rental.
On September 30, 2020 Regional Council directed staff to:
Amend the Regional Plan and all applicable secondary municipality planning strategies and land use by-laws to establish consistent regional wide policies, definitions, and regulations for STRs in residential areas; and
Develop STR registration requirements
This direction was in response to the September 2020 staff report, which provided a jurisdictional review of STR legislation throughout Canada and the USA, along with the results of the 2019 survey. The September 2020 staff report recommended that, in developing STR regulations, staff should consider the following:
Require all STRs to register with the Municipality. This would include STRs that are located within the host’s primary residence and STRs located in the hosts secondary residence (cottage) or income property(ies);
Within residential zones/neighbourhoods, only permit STRs in the host’s primary residences;
Within neighbouhoods where hotels or other types of tourist accommodations are already permitted, allow commercial STRs; and
Consider modified provisions for STRs in rural areas.
Should you have any questions regarding the content of the survey or wish to further discuss potential STR regulation, please contact Jamy-Ellen Klenavic at klenavj@halifax.ca.
The primary focus of this survey is to gauge public opinion on our proposed direction for regulating Short Term Rentals (STRs). This survey has 21 questions divided into 6 themes:
Theme 1: Relationship with STRs
Theme 2: STRs in Residential Areas
Theme 3: STRs in Commercial/ Mixed Use Areas
Theme 4: STRs in Select Rural Areas
Theme 5: General STR Regulation
Theme 6: Tell Us a Bit About Yourself
The survey should take approximately 10 minutes to complete. Should you have any questions regarding the content of the survey or wish to further discuss STR regulations in the municipality please contact Jamy-Ellen Klenavic. The survey will be open until January 31, 2022.
Definitions
For the purposes of this survey, the following terms are defined as follows:
Commercial Short-Term Rental: the provision of a STR in a dwelling unit that is not the primary residence of the host. Cottage: A dwelling intended for seasonal or temporary occupancy only, and not permanently occupied as a residence. Mixed Use: areas where a mix of residential and non-residential uses are permitted. Mixed use zones are often located in downtown areas or rural neighbourhoods. Primary Residence: the dwelling where an individual lives, makes their home, and conducts their daily affairs, including paying bills and receiving mail. It is generally the dwelling unit with the residential address used on documentation related to billing, identification, taxation and insurance purposes. Short-Term Rental: the provision of a roofed tourist accommodation to a single party or group, for payment or compensation, for a period of 28 days or less.
Access & Privacy Message
In accordance with Section 485 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA), any personal information collected in this survey will only be used by municipal staff and, if necessary, individuals under service contract with the Halifax Regional Municipality for purposes relating to STR research and the information will not be presented or compiled in a manner that could potentially identify any respondent. If you have any questions about the collection and use of this personal information, please contact the Access and Privacy Office at 902-943-2148 or privacy@halifax.ca.
