Owner Occupied Short-Term Rentals in Niagara Falls
The City of Niagara Falls is currently exploring the feasibility of allowing Owner Occupied Short-Term Rentals in residential areas throughout the City. Bed and Breakfasts are already allowed in some residential areas of the City.
Bed and Breakfasts have regulations that require the owner to be present on site, limit the number of people who can stay, require additional parking, and require licensing.
Owner Occupied Short-Term Rentals are proposed to have similar regulations to Bed and Breakfasts, such as
- The owner must be present on site while it is being rented.
- Required to have an annual license.
- Maximum stay of 28 consecutive days.
- Additional parking must be provided.
The difference between Owner Occupied Short-Term Rentals and Bed and Breakfasts would be that only one party can book an Owner Occupied Short-Term Rental at any given time, whereas separate parties book rooms at Bed and Breakfasts. For information on Bed and Breakfasts, visit the City’s Bed and Breakfast webpage.
We need your input!
Let us know your opinion on allowing Owner Occupied Short-Term Rentals in residential areas throughout the City. Public input from this survey will contribute to creating effective rules and regulations for Owner Occupied Short-Term Rentals.
Bed and Breakfast means a home occupation that provides guest rooms and breakfast to the travelling and vacationing public and is licensed by the City of Niagara Falls to carry on business.
Owner Occupied Short-Term Rental will mean a home occupation that rents a dwelling unit to a single group of the travelling and vacationing public, at the principal residence of an Owner. The Owner must occupy the property on a full-time basis and be present at the property for the duration of the rental. The rental can be for a period of 28 consecutive days or less and must be licensed by the City of Niagara Falls to carry out business.
The City currently permits Vacation Rental Units in specific commercial areas of the City outside of residential areas. A Vacation Rental Unit is a short-term accommodation that is available in its entirety (i.e., no owner present on site) to provide temporary lodging to a single group of the travelling and vacationing public, such as those offered through booking applications like Vrbo and Airbnb. A Vacation Rental Unit must be licensed by the City of Niagara Falls. For more information on VRUs, visit the City’s Vacation Rental Unit webpage.
We want to hear from you!
Take the survey by Monday, November 25.
