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Primary Residence Short-Term Accommodations

A primary residence short-term accommodation (STA) (originally known as owner-occupied) means a short-term accommodation in which one or two dwelling-units on the property are occupied by accommodated guests and is the owner’s primary residence on their income tax filing and in other government records. This is further defined as:

  • Host on-site for full calendar year
  • Host off-site for (up to 45) total days per calendar year

As these are 2 separate types of Primary Licences, you will need to submit 2 applications if both licences are requested.

On this page

Guide for Renewing a Primary Residence STA Licence

  • Renewal notices will be emailed to property owners by our partnered software Harmari by Avenu
  • In order to renew your licence you must click on the link in the email as it is generated specifically for each property. If you have not received an email or are having difficulties, please email sta@pecounty.on.ca 
  • Please follow this link for the checklist of required documentation to be submitted.
  • Please note: When submitting online, there is no availability to save progress and return at a later time. Ensure all documents are saved before starting. 

Once a complete applicant has been submitted with all of the required documents, the STA department will be notified of the renewal and will process.

  • Verifying Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) submissions are current and that there are no outstanding balances owed to the municipality (taxes, utilities, other) *If there are outstanding amounts due, the application will not be processed until paid.

The municipality may refuse to process, issue or revoke a licence if one or more of the following circumstances are met:

  • If the information submitted on the application is incomplete, incorrect, false, or misleading; or
  • If all the required taxes, fees, administrative monetary penalties, Provincial Offences, or municipal charges have not been paid
  • If a licence has been previously revoked, suspended, made subject to special condition(s) or has presented a history of contravention with the STA licensing by-law or other County by-laws
  • If the applicant is in breach of any provisions of the STA licensing by-law or the STA does not comply with any provision of the STA licensing by-law or is in breach of provisions of any other County by-laws or regulations
  • Refusal to comply with any notice of violation within 72 hours.

 

The municipality shall refuse or revoke a licence when any of the following by-law provisions are in breach:

Where the property has orders under the Ontario Building Code or the Ontario Fire Code or provisions in the Property Standards By-Law, as amended, or the Zoning By-Law;

Once an application has completed a successful review, an invoice will be created and email it to the property owner’s email address on file.

Payment can be made:

  • Through the County website.
    In the “Community Group” field, please put your customer ID.
    In the “Event” field, please put your ST number (as shown on the invoice)
  • Through online banking as a bill payment:
    Payee: Prince Edward (search and select rental)
    Account: Customer ID (as shown on the invoice)
  • In person:
    332 Picton Main Street, Shire Hall. Please bring copy of invoice

Once payment has been remitted and applied to the property owner’s account, an email will be sent to arrange the on-site inspection (if required). 

Please note: inspections are required every four years for primary on-site licensed STAs and every two years for primary off-site licensed STAs.

It is important to confirm the appointment time or to advise the STA office if there is a conflict as soon as possible.  If an officer attends the property and there is no one available a fee of $150.00 will be issued for re-inspection.

If the property passes the inspection and does not contravene any provincial legislation or municipal by-laws, or have any outstanding fines/invoices, the municipality will issue a licence by email to the property owner.

The following shall be made available to renters of the STA:

  • A copy of the current licence displayed interior to the STA dwelling and available for inspection by County staff
  • A copy of the approved floor plans of the STA identifying at a minimum, but not limited to, the guest rooms, exits, fire escape routes, primary owner bedroom, storage areas, and guest rooms
  • A copy of the current municipal Noise-Nuisance By-Law
  • A copy of the site plan that shows designated parking areas for STA guests. 

The owner or operator of an STA must ensure that any advertisement (website, digital booking platform or other promotional materials) includes, in an easy to find location, the corresponding licence number of the advertised STA, as issued by the municipality.

Guide for Applying for a new Primary Residence STA Licence

Applications are to be completed through our software provider Hamari.

Should you require a paper copy of the application, email sta@pecounty.on.ca

Please follow this link for the checklist of required documentation to be submitted.

Please note: When submitting online, there is no availability to save progress and return at a later time. Ensure all documents are saved before starting. 

Once the applicant has submitted all of the documents, the application will be circulated internally for review:

  • The Planning Department will review to ensure zoning by-law compliance. Zoning compliance will look at the current zoning on a property and ensure that using the residential dwelling as a short-term accommodation complies with provisions, as well as ensuring that there is enough parking area to support the number of bedrooms.
  • The Building Department will review to ensure Building Code compliance. Building will ensure that the septic capacity is large enough to support the number of bedrooms and bathrooms on the property; ensure fire safety compliance is met if necessary; and ensure that all dwellings have been built with legal permits and ensure compliance with the Ontario Building Code.
  • The Finance Department will ensure there are no outstanding payments due to the municipality (property tax, invoice, etc)

The municipality may refuse to issue or revoke a licence if one or more of the following circumstances are met:

  • If the information submitted on the application is incomplete, incorrect, false, or misleading
  • If all the required taxes, fees, administrative monetary penalties, Provincial Offences, or municipal charges have not been paid.
  • If a licence has been previously revoked, suspended, made subject to special condition(s) or has presented a history of contravening the STA licensing by-law or other County by-lawsu
  • If the applicant is in breach of any provisions of the STA licensing by-law or the STA does not comply with any provision of the STA licensing by-law or is in breach of the provisions of any other County by-law or regulations
  • If the applicant refuses to comply with any notice of violation within 72 hours.

The municipality shall refuse or revoke a licence when any of the following by-law provisions are in breach:

  • If the property has orders under the Ontario Building Code or the Ontario Fire Code, or provisions in the Property Standards By-Law, as amended, or the Zoning By-Law
  • If the property is subject to tax arrears

Once an application has progressed through all department compliance checks and is deemed able to continue, the STA Office will create an invoice and email it to the address provided on the application.

Payment can be made:

  • Through the County website
    In the “Community Group” field, please put your customer ID
    In the “Event” field, please put your ST number (as shown on the invoice)
  • Through online banking as a bill payment:
    Payee: Prince Edward (search and select rental)
    Account: Customer ID (as shown on the invoice)
  • In person: Shire Hall, 332 Main Street, Picton. Please bring copy of invoice

Once payment has been remitted and applied to the property owner’s account, the STA office will reach out by email to schedule a date for inspection. It is important to confirm the appointment time within 14 days of email or the licence application may be deactivated/denied

By-law enforcement officers will inspect the property to ensure compliance with all municipal by-laws and provincial legislation. 

Inspectors will be checking to ensure site and floor plans submitted in your application are correct, requirements for fire safety are in place (smoke detectors in each bedroom, CO2 detector on each level, and a 2.5lb ABC fire extinguisher on each level), and that general safety is in place.

If the property passes the inspection and does not contravene any provincial legislation or municipal by-laws, or have any outstanding fines/invoices the municipality will issue a licence.

The following shall be made available to renters of the STA:

  • A copy of the current licence displayed interior to the STA dwelling and available for inspection by County staff.
  • A copy of the approved floor plans of the STA identifying at a minimum, but not limited to, the guest rooms, exits, fire escape routes, primary owner bedroom, storage areas, and guest rooms
  • A copy of the current municipal Noise-Nuisance By-Law
  • A copy of the site plan that shows designated parking areas for STA guests. 

The owner or operator of an STA must ensure that any advertisement (website, digital booking platform or other promotional materials) includes, in an easy to find location, the corresponding licence number of the advertised STA, as issued by the municipality.

Administrative Monetary Penalties

The County will issue Administrative Monetary Penalties (AMP) for violations related to short-term accommodations if found to be in violation.

Fees are as follows:

Operating without a licence: $10,000 first offence; $15,000 second offence; $20,000 offence thereafter

Advertising STA without a licence: $2,000 first offence; $4,000 second offence; $8,000 offence thereafter

Fail to provide copies of required documents: $100 first offence; $200 second offence; $400 offence thereafter

Fail to display STA licence number on STA advertisement: $1,000 first offence; $2,000 second offence; $4,000 offence thereafter

Hosting non-permitted events: $500 first offence; $1,000 second offence; $2,000 offence thereafter

Change or operate STA other than as approved: $1,000 first offence; $2,000 second offence; $4,000 offence thereafter

Refusing a by-law enforcement officer entry for inspection: $300 first offence; $500 second offence; $1,000 offence thereafter

Accessibility

The County encourages STA owners and operators to remove barriers for people with disabilities wherever possible.

Owners and operators can voluntarily provide information about the accessibility features of their STAs when submitting a new or renewal application. The municipality is gathering this information to inform any future programs to incentivize more accessible STAs.

The Accessibility Advisory Committee has drafted a checklist to help owners and operators make their STAs accessible. 

Municipal Accommodation Tax

The County has implemented a Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT). The MAT is applicable to any roofed accommodation with guests staying for less than 30 consecutive days (e.g. short-term accommodations, hotels, motels, inns, vacation rentals, bed and breakfast establishments, etc.). Exclusions include tents, RVs, hospital stays, and more, as detailed in the legislation.  

Click here to learn more about the MAT and how you collect and remit the tax

Additional Information

Contact us

If you require further information, contact the County at 613.476.2148 extension 2050, 613.962.9108 extension 2050, or sta@pecounty.on.ca.