Beginning January 1, 2026, all short-term rental accommodation operators in Central Elgin must hold a valid licence to legally operate. Applications for Short-Term Rental Licensing are now being accepted.
What is a Short-Term Rental Accommodation?
In Central Elgin, a Short-Term Rental is defined as: all or part of a legally established dwelling that operates or offers a place of temporary residence, lodging or occupancy by way of a rental agreement or commercial transaction to the public for a period of less twenty-eight (28) consecutive days and includes but is not limited to bed and breakfast establishments, inns, hostels, rooming houses and boarding houses but does not include hotels, trailer parks, campgrounds and motels.
Licensing Requirements
Beginning January 1, 2026, all short-term rental accommodation operators in Central Elgin must hold a valid licence to legally operate. Licensing ensures properties meet standards for safety, community well-being, and property maintenance.
A Short-Term Rental Licence must be obtained before advertising, booking, or operating a rental. Advertising or operating without a licence may result in enforcement action and fines, as outlined in the Short-Term Rental Accommodations Licensing By-Law (2025-037).
The licensing program will help ensure rental properties are safe for occupants and the community, and that properties operating as short-term rentals are compliant with all by-laws and regulations.
Helpful Resources for Short-Term Licensing Applicants
After submitting your application, an application fee payment of $300.00 is required before staff begin reviewing the application. Payment can be arranged in person at the Central Elgin Municipal Office (450 Sunset Drive) or over the phone by calling 519-631-4860. After your application is reviewed, a member of our team will arrange a date and time for a Fire Inspection.
Check if a Property is Licensed
Residents and visitors can verify whether a property is a licensed short-term rental using the Municipality’s interactive map. If an address appears, users can see whether the property is compliant or non-compliant with municipal regulations. If an address does not appear, the Municipality has no record of it operating as a short-term rental.
Have a Short-Term Rental Related Concern?
Residents can report issues such as unauthorized short-term rental activity, loud parties or noise complaints, and parking-related concerns online or by calling the 24-hour hotline at 548-708-8113.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the fees for the application and licence?
There is a one-time Application fee of $300.00 per Short-Term Rental unit paid at the time of initial application. There is also an annual licensing fee as part of the program. Payment of the licensing fee is due once your application is approved by the Municipality. The licensing fee is $650.00 per Short-Term Rental unit.
What is required for a Fire Inspection?
We will need access to all areas of the building in order to complete the inspection.
What we look for during this inspection depends on the type of property.
Single Family Home
When inspecting a single family home that does not involve any other units, the inspector will check all smoke alarms to ensure they are in working condition and placed in the required locations.
Duplex
Your duplex may fall under retrofit legislation in the Ontario Fire code. 9.8 Retrofit applies to "a detached house, "semi-detached house" or "row house" which contains two occupied, self contained "dwelling units" (each "dwelling unit" is operated as a housekeeping unit and is provided with independent cooking, eating, sleeping and sanitary facilities), and has one "dwelling unit" or portion of the "dwelling unit" situated above another "dwelling unit", or two "dwelling units" situated side by side sharing a common interior means of escape which may include an interior stairway, corridor or doorway."
If your property does require retrofit, we would look at ensuring required fire separations are in place, working smoke alarms are in place as required and an ElecCheck inspection from the Electrical Safety Authority 1-877-ESA-Safe (372-7233) has been done and all repairs have been completed.
Triplex or 4-plex
Your building may fall under retrofit legislation in the Ontario Fire Code. 9.5 Retrofit applies to "buildings up to and including 6 storeys in building height with residential occupancies and containing;
1a) more than two dwelling units where
i) at least two dwelling units share common exit facilities and have interior access to one another,
ii) there is at least one dwelling unit located above another with interior access to one another, or
iii) there is at least one dwelling unit located above another and the dwelling units share common exit facilities,
b) sleeping accommodation for more than 10 persons, in one or more dormitories
c) boarding, lodging or rooming accommodation for more than four persons where Sections 9.3 and 9.4 do not apply, or
d) one or two dwelling units in combination with boarding, lodging or rooming accommodation for two, three, or four persons, excluding the operator's residence.
If your property does require retrofit, we would look at ensuring required fire separations are in place, working smoke alarms are in place as required and any fire alarm requirements have been addressed.
A Fire Inspection is included in the Application Fee, if additional inspections are required due to not meeting requirements, an additional fee will apply.
When do I need to have a Short-Term Rental Licence in place?
Enforcement for Short-Term Rentals in the Municipality of Central Elgin begins January 2025. All operators must obtain a Short-Term Rental Licence before advertising, booking, or operating. To ensure timely processing, it is recommended that applications be submitted at least three weeks prior to the intended start of operations.
How will compliance with the by-law be monitored?
A third-party compliance monitoring system will be implemented to support adherence to short-term rental regulations. This system will identify the addresses of short-term rental properties, provide a 24/7 hotline for complaints, and maintain ongoing communication with each rental’s Responsible Person to address any issues or complaints that arise. More information about how to submit concerns or complaints about short-term rentals will be available in January 2026 once the By-Law comes into effect.
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