STR Applicants & Operators

You must submit and be approved for a Short-Term Licence before advertising or operating a short-term rental.  Licensing requirements came into effect on March 1, 2024.

Online application is now available! Click here to review and submit. 

Questions email: STR@owensound.ca 

Annual Fees for:

Short-Term Rental run out of operators' primary residence: $500.00

Short-Term Rental in the downtown core that is NOT the operator's primary residence: $750.00

The fee can be paid by mail using a cheque made out to the City of Owen Sound, or at the service counter at City Hall by cash, cheque, debit or credit.

Once an application is deemed complete, it will take approximately 30 days to review, complete inspections, and provide approval. During this 30-day period, the operator must register for the Municipal Accommodation Tax.  

Individuals advertising and/or operating a short-term rental without a licence may be issued a $1000.00 fine for each day there is an offence.

Bed & breakfasts are considered short-term rentals and require a short-term rental licence to operate.  However, bed & breakfasts are not subject to a cap on the number of days they can operate or the requirement to book one group of visitors at a time.

An owner is only allowed to operate one short-term rental at their property.  The short-term rental may be made up of rooms in the principle dwelling and rooms in additional units.  The maximum occupancy remains 8 people regardless of how many rooms are available. 

Tenants may each operate a short-term rental (with permission) in addition to the owner's short-term rental. 

Yes.  Each short-term rental operator will be required to submit a 4% (plus HST) Municipal Accommodation Tax per stay.  This amount needs to be shown as a separate line on each receipt you provide to visitors for their stays.  The City has designated the Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association to help collect the tax.

Revenues from MAT are reinvested to support tourism in the City.  See the City's MAT page for more information.

Yes, as part of the application process each short-term rental may be subject to inspections by Building, Fire, By-law Enforcement, Engineering or other City staff.  Additional inspections may be required while the short-term rental is operating if complaints are received.