Problem
The Village of Cumberland's vacation rental regulations will look a bit different after adopting a new bylaw.
The bylaw was adopted at the start of August, after a public hearing on July 6 and then presented for its third reading.
Regulations will change how short-term vacation rentals can operate including the number of guests and types of buildings.
Proposed amendments were presented as follows:
A vacation rental is a commercial use of a home or rooms within a home
Permit vacation rentals only on properties that also have a principal resident (owner or tenant) living on it
Permit only one dwelling unit on a property to be used as a vacation rental. This can be the main dwelling, or a secondary suite or an accessory dwelling unit
Limit the maximum number of bedrooms in a vacation rental to three
Limit the maximum number of guests in a vacation rental to six
Require posting an outdoor sign with contact information on the property
Prohibit a vacation rental to be operated on the same property as a daycare use.
The goal of the bylaw is to give the village some control over vacation rentals, balance the need for tourism accommodations and provide long-term housing options in the area.
Anyone who is running a legal vacation rental business and meets current zoning bylaw regulations is grandfathered in, according to senior planner Karin Albert.
Concerns, however, were still raised in the July 6 public hearing about the requirement for an outdoor sign, parking requirements and if children were considered additional to the maximum number of guests.
There were also concerns raised about enforcement.
Council amended the bylaw after changing "for whom". The approval was echoed by Cumberland mayor Leslie Baird as the process came to a close.
"Thank you very much, that is a big item off our plate," said Baird.
• What would happen to the Village of Cumberland if there would be no short-term vacation rental policies in place? Provide 2 answers
• If the Village of Cumberland was a very popular tourist destination, where finding housing for tourism workers is very difficult, what would you propose to add or change in this amendment to help solve the problem?