Short-Term Rental Licensing

Step 1 -Preparing for your Application
a. Please review By-law 22-017 in advance of applying.
b. Print off and complete the following required documents for applying.
c. Documents must be ready to be uploaded as a PDF when you complete Step 2 of the application process.

• Name and Contact Information for the property owner(s) and Responsible Person as defined in section 2.26 & 6.1. j.)
• Proof of Ownership (Tax Notice or Proof of Title)
• Site Diagram (example) - Please note, that this drawing can be prepared by the owner/applicant.
• Floor Plan (example) - Please note, that this drawing can be prepared by the owner/applicant.
• Attestation Form
• Residential Owner Affidavit
• Corporate Owner Affidavit (if applicable)
• Certificate of Insurance
• Licensee Code of Conduct & Acknowledgment Schedule "B"
• Have a Credit Card ready for the non-refundable Application Fee of $1,500.00. (Plus applicable service fees).

Step 2 -Application for your Licence

Please click the below link to complete the online application form and upload the documents outlined in Step 1. At the end of this process you will be required to pay the non-refundable Application Fee of $1,500.00. (Plus applicable service fees).

Short-Term Rental Licence Applications are being accepted until a total of 300 Applications have been received. Once 300 Licence Applications have been received, the application process will be closed until the number of Licences issued falls below the 300 limit set out in By-law 22-017, as amended.

Link to Online Application

If you encounter technical difficulties, please contact support+tiny-on@hostcompliance.com

Step 3 -Additional Supplemental Documents
Once Step 2 has been completed, you are now in the process to be considered for a licence. However, additional supplemental documents are required to support your application. Applicants are required to obtain and provide the following additional information:

• Electrical Inspection Report
  Please contact a Licensed Electrical Contracting (LEC) business to perform an Electrical System Safety Assessment. An Electrical System Safety Assessment is a review of your home's electrical wiring and/or devices to identify potential electrical hazards that could lead to a fire and/or shock. The report required is to be dated less than 5 years old. Please upload the completed inspection report when completed. More details
• HVAC Inspection Report (if applicable)
  Please contact an HVAC Technician to perform and assessment of your HVAC system to identify any concerns. Please upload the completed inspection report when completed.
• WETT Report (if applicable)
  A Wood Energy Technical Transfer report dated less than 5 years old, issued by a certified WETT inspector is required. Please upload the completed inspection report when completed.
• Annual inspection report of chimney, flue pipes etc. (if applicable)
  Please contact a WETT certified inspector to complete a yearly inspection of the chimney, flue pipes etc. and conduct a chimney sweep to ensure they are safe to be utilized. Please upload the completed inspection report when completed.

Step 4 -Application Review
Licensing, Fire and Building Department staff will be reviewing the information submitted, to confirm compliance. Should the application be missing information or not conforming to a regulation or by-law, the applicant will be advised of the required amendments or additions required. Applicants will be given the opportunity to update the application or provide any missing documentation.

Step 5 -Township Inspections
Once Step 4 of the application has been completed, the applicant will be advised to contact the Fire Department for the onsite inspection. The following Guide has been prepared to assist property owners in preparing for the inspection:

Fire Safety and your Rental Property

Step 6 -Approval
Should all inspections result in compliance, and all requirements be met, the Licensing Officer will provide Approval in writing and a Licence will be issued until December 31, 2023. Once the licence is issued, the Licensee will be responsible for the maintenance of Monthly Fire Extinguisher Inspections, Maintenance Records and Tests for all Smoke and CO Alarms, the Guest Register and the Renters Code of Conduct. These documents can be found in the Additional Documents Folder of this webpage.

Additional Documents

• Attestation Form
• Residential Owner Affidavit
• Corporate Owner Affidavit
• Certificate of Insurance Document
• Fire Safety and your Rental Property
• Maintenance Records and Tests for all Smoke and CO Alarms 
• Monthly Fire Extinguisher Inspection Report
• Guest Registry
• Site Diagram Example  - Please note, that this drawing can be prepared by the owner/applicant.
• Floor Plan Example  - Please note, that this drawing can be prepared by the owner/applicant.
• Renters Code of Conduct Schedule "A"
• Licensee Code of Conduct & Acknowledgment Schedule "B"
• Change of Information Request for The Responsible Person

Related By-laws

Short-Term Rental By-law 22-017
Short-Term Rental Amendment By-law 22-067
Short-Term Rental Amendment By-law 22-082
Zoning Amendment By-law 22-061
Official Plan Amendment By-law 22-060

Licensees may apply for renewal of their Licence every year. Details regarding the renewal process will become available in the Fall of 2023. However, no new Licences will be issued until the number of Licences in the Township fall below 300, after which the number of Licences shall not exceed 300.

Where the Licensing Officer has denied an Applicant a Licence, a renewal of a Licence, or has suspended or revoked a Licence, the Licensing Officer shall inform the Applicant or Licensee by way of written notice setting forth the grounds for the decision with reasonable particulars and shall advise of the right to appeal such decision to the Committee.

An Owner may appeal to the Committee in relation to a matter set forth in a notice delivered. Appeals will not be permitted for the issuance of demerit points until they have resulted in the suspension or revocation of a Licence. Appeals will not be permitted for any matters that have already been heard by the Committee.

A request for an appeal must be made in writing to the Licensing Officer within 14 business days of service of the written notice and must include the required appeal fee of $500.00.

Q: Do I need to consent to disclosing personal information to get a licence?
A: Yes, the Township is using a third-party administrator for the short-term rental licencing program who requires access to all submitted materials. Applicants must consent to the disclosure of information to have their application processed and cannot opt-out of this requirement.

Q: Is my information secure?
A: Information will be kept on servers located in Canada with privacy protocols in place to keep information secure. The third-party administrator has agreements in place to ensure that Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act is complied with.

Q: How will my information be used?
A: Disclosed information will only be used to administer and enforce the STR licencing program. Your information will not be used for any other purpose.

Q: Why is my information being posted online?
A: The Township will be posting the locations of licenced short-term rentals, the licence number, and the contact information for the responsible person. This will allow individuals to reach out with concerns or active issues which assists with the protection of health, safety and well-being of persons.

Q: How long will my information be kept?
A: Personal information must be kept for a minimum of 3 years per the Records Retention By-law 18-015. After such time, the information will be transferred to a municipal or local government archive or destroyed.

Q: How long do I need to keep the information in my Guest Registry?
A: Entries in the Guest Registry must be kept for 3 years.

Q: What do I do if the Township requests a copy of my Guest Registry?
A: The Guest Registry should be uploaded through the short-term rental program so that Fire/Licensing/Enforcement staff have access to the documents.

Q: What information will be posted online?
A: The Township will post the location of each STR property on a map, along with the address, status of licence, licence number, occupancy limit, number of licenced bedrooms, and the name and contact information of the responsible person. The name and contact information of the owner will not be posted online unless that person is also the responsible person.

On August 11, 2022, Township of Tiny Council passed a Short-Term Rental (STR) Accommodation Licensing By-law (#22-017), requiring all STR operators within the municipality submit their application between October 4 to November 15, 2022. No new Applications will be received after November 15, 2022, until the total number of active licences has fallen below 300 in the municipality. Any operator that has not submitted a licence application but continues to operate after November 15, 2022, will be investigated and charged pursuant to by-law provisions.

Please see below the notices issued regarding the Short-Term Rental Accommodation By-law #22-017 applications:

• 11 01 2022 Press Release -Township of Tiny Short-Term Rental Licensing Program Application Period October 4 to November 15, 2022
• 10 27 2022 Community Page
• 10 19 2022 Letter to Short-Term Rental Operators – Final Notice
• 09 28 2022 Press Release - Township of Tiny partners with Granicus/Host Compliance for the Short-Term Rental Licensing Program
• 09 22 2022 Community Page
• 08 23 2022 Press Release - Short-Term Rental Accommodation Licensing Program
• 09 26 2022 Letter to Short-Term Rental Operators - Notice 1
• Council Agendas
• Tiny Connect
• Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube)

The Licensee and Renters Code of Conduct have been prepared by the Township to prescribe the roles and responsibilities of the Licensee, Responsible Person,  Renters and Guests, including but not limited to: behavioural expectations as they relate to non-disturbance of neighbours; compliance with applicable Township by-laws, and adherence to the provisions of the Short-Term Rental Accommodation By-law 22-017. The Renter Code of Conduct must be completed upon every rental of the Premises.

Renters Code of Conduct Schedule "A"
Licensee Code of Conduct & Acknowledgment Schedule "B"

A Demerit Point System has been established to enforce the Short-Term Rental By-law or any other by-laws of the Township, provincial act or regulation, including, but not limited to, actions pursuant to the Building Code Act, Fire Protection and Prevention Act, and the Provincial Offences Act.

A Licence may be suspended for a period of six months if the total Demerit Points in effect respecting a Short-Term Rental Accommodation is seven or more.
A Licence may be revoked if the total of all Demerit Points in effect respecting a Short-Term Rental Accommodation is fifteen or more.

Demerit Points shall remain in place until the two-year anniversary of the date of which the Demerit Points were assessed.

For complete details on the Demerit Point system and the Infraction list, please see Schedule "C" of the Short-Term Rental By-law.

The Township has passed an Official Plan Amendment and a Zoning By-law Amendment to Zoning By-law 06-001 relative to STRs. 

In addition, the new Township Zoning By-law 22-075 includes regulations relative to STRs.

Zoning By-law 06-001 permits STRs in any zone that allows for a dwelling as a permitted use. The following zones would permit a STR:

• Shoreline Residential (SR)
• Limited Services Residential (LSR)
• Hamlet Residential One (HR1)
• Hamlet Residential Two (HR2)
• Rural Residential (RR)
• Country Residential (CR)
• Rural (RU)
• Agricultural (A)
• Urban Fringe (UF)
• Greenbelt (GB)
• Future Development (FD)

To confirm what your property is zoned in Zoning By-law 06-001, please use our Zoning Interactive Map and click on the link below:

Interactive Zoning Map 06-001 | Township of Tiny

Zoning By-law 22-075 permits STRs in any zone that allows for a dwelling as a permitted use. The following zones would permit a STR:

• Shoreline Residential (SR)
• Limited Services Residential (LSR)
• Hamlet Residential
• Rural Residential (RR)
• Country Residential (CR)
• Rural (RU)
• Agricultural (A)
• Greenlands (GL)
• Future Development (FD)

To confirm what your property is zoned in Zoning By-law 22-075, please use our Zoning Interactive Map and click on the link below:

Interactive Zoning Map 22-075 | Township of Tiny

Both Zoning By-laws do not permit a STR use in any accessory building or structure including a Bunkie. In addition, both Zoning By-laws require a minimum parking requirement for a STR of one (1) parking space per every two (2) bedrooms. In the case of an odd number of bedrooms, the minimum parking requirement shall be based on the next even number. For example, the required parking for a 3 bedroom house is 2 parking spaces.

One of the requirements of the new STR program is compliance with the Ontario Building Code. As part of the review of STR License applications, the Building Department will be reviewing the information submitted with the application to do the following:

• Confirm that the submitted Floor Plan and Site Diagram match the Township records (including the sewage system records)
• Confirm that there are no outstanding inspections on open Building Permit
• Confirm that there are no outstanding Ontario Building Code Orders or complaints (including compliance with the Township Sewage System Re-inspection Program)

Important dates and information:

• Building permit required as of November 4, 1966
• Occupancy permit required as of October 26^th 1986
• Sheds not exceeding more than 161 sq. ft and other structures not exceeding 108 sq. ft do not require building permits but must comply with the Township Zoning By-law

Practice home safety in rentals just like you do at home. Make sure:

• Everyone knows the address of the rental
• Everyone knows two ways out of every room, and out of the rental 
• All doors and windows that lead outside can be easily opened
• To choose an outside meeting place a safe distance from the rental where everyone can meet and be accounted for

Fire Safety and your Rental Property 
Smoke/CO Alarm Information for Guests

For more information on fire safety and emergency planning, please visit the Fire Prevention and Public Education Webpage.

Applicants are required to be in compliance with the the Ontario Building Code Act, 1992, S.O. 1992 c.23; including Sewage System. Inspections completed by the Building Department will include the review and inspection of the Sewage System.

Owners of Dwelling Units on Private Sewage Disposal Systems should note that the maximum occupancy of a Short-Term Rental Accommodation is based on a maximum of two persons per Bedroom. Exceeding the maximum occupancy may result in the malfunctioning of the septic system and pollution of the ground water system.

Please familiarize yourself and your Guests with the provisions that have been made for waste management and the day of the week in which waste collection is scheduled. It should be noted that the "putting out" of waste on a non-scheduled day is regulated by the County of Simcoe Waste Management By-law. Waste collection information and pick up times are available on the County of Simcoe's website.

In response to a number of concerns raised by the community, Council passed a by-law on August 11th, 2022 to regulate STRs within the Township. Prior to the passage of the licensing by-law, Council reviewed reports, legal opinions and public feedback. For more information on the background process of the Short-Term Rental By-law, please see our Short-Term Rental Background Information.

One of the common concerns received was that complainants did not know how to reach their neighbour that was operating a Short-Term Rental.  Like most municipalities, The Township of Tiny implemented a “Responsible Person” provision: 

By-law 22-017, as amended, Section 6.1 j) states:

the name and contact information of the Responsible Person who can be readily contacted within thirty (30) minutes and respond to an emergency or contravention of any Township by-law, including attendance on site of the Premises within sixty (60) minutes of being notified of the occurrence;

As a first step, neighbourly communications are always encouraged in resolving misunderstandings and disagreements before calling authorities (such as By-law and OPP). Concerned neighbours are encouraged to call the Responsible Person and report their concerns.  If a complaint has been filed with the Responsible Person and no action is undertaken, please forward your complaint to the Township of Tiny through the number 1 (705) 805-2865 or through the following webpage: Short-Term Rental Complaints

Township enforcement staff will investigate matters during our enforcement coverage hours posted on the website. After hours, please contact the OPP non-emergency number at 1-888-310-1122 for assistance with urgent disturbances of the peace or other policing matters.

How to receive an update on a previous complaint?

In most circumstances you will be able to identify that your complaint has been resolved when the property is no longer in violation.

Should you like an update on what action has been taken with your complaint please contact the office (705-526-4136). An administrative officer will provide you with an update or have the investigating officer return your call.

Follow-up information will not be provided to anonymous complaints.​