CollingwoodToday welcomes letters to the editor. They can be submitted via the website or emailed to [email protected]. The following letter was written by a resident who works for a vacation rental company and was submitted in response to a previous letter about potential negative impacts of short-term rentals in Collingwood.
Editor,
I wish to respond to the recently published letter to the editor of June 23, entitled "Short-term rentals could bring negative impacts."
The previous letter suggests short-term rentals cause disruption of a community's social fabric. The life cycle of new residents in this community, or in other words new locals, often involves those who come here first as tourists to experience all that we enjoy each and every day. Do not be shocked if tourists fall in love with the Collingwood and Blue Mountain region, when a few of those residents here now who are not great fans of tourists, have fallen in love with our community for the exact same reasons.
Just look into the history of those business owners in our region who are currently meeting with incredible success as many of those people first came here as tourists. It is as a direct result of tourism that our social fabric is continually being strengthened.
I will rely on municipally released stats, specifically that the town is reporting between 318 and 372 illegal short-term accommodation units operating in Collingwood today, to respond to the point around housing supply and affordability. The current short-term rental legislative direction that town staff have recommended and council, to date, has endorsed, shall use the central guiding principles of "principal residence" to first pre-qualify a property for inclusion in a licensed marketplace here in Collingwood. That legislative direction shall, in fact, reduce the number of short-term rental units on the supply side vs. today's reported totals thereby having the effect of actually increasing the supply of long-term rental housing units in the community.
The short-term accommodation industry accommodates tourists in this tourism mecca. Those tourists spend large sums of money in our community which, in turn, supports employment and drives additional income to those business owners as well as to their valued staff. Those locals who own and work in those businesses then have more income to put back into the local economy.
Having been in the short-term vacation rental business for an incredibly long time I can categorically confirm that tourists, whether they be staying in a motel, hotel or short-term accommodation, go out to eat at local restaurants, whether that for be breakfast, lunch or dinner or all of the above. The undeniable reality is that short-term accommodation units house tourists, who spend and spend willingly and aggressively when they come to our community.
The current direction of the municipality shall reduce the number of tourists, not create a “sudden influx” of tourists. The current review, study and consideration of the municipal accommodation tax to be derived from short-term accommodations and other accommodations in Collingwood, will add significant revenues to the town. This tax, with its 50 per cent municipal share, shall provide the opportunity to invest those tax dollars back into this community. If the municipality so chooses to put that into infrastructure, then that is a path they could follow.
Regarding the argument of short-term rental activity accelerating wear and tear on properties: the additional municipal oversight and engagement, in fact, causes properties to be far better managed than in an unlicensed environment.
A short-term rental under a licensed environment has municipal oversight in the areas, of fire code, electrical code, building code, property standards bylaw, occupant load, parking, noise, garbage management etc. The reality is that, in a licensed landscape, the subject properties are well maintained and, have to be as a direct result of that increased level of municipal oversight. That reality coupled with the importance for owners to maintain high-quality property standards in today’s online booking world makes for only good outcomes.
Short-term rentals in a licensed environment also increase in value, thereby having a positive impact on property values across the community.
Stu Frith
Blue Mountains, Ont.
Business development manager for Vacasa vacation rentals
