Too soon to tell if Charlottetown short-term rental rules are making things better, says city

Sheehan Desjardins · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 28, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 21 minutes ago

The regularisation of short-term rentals is going good successful Charlottetown, according to the city, but officials accidental it's inactive excessively aboriginal to cognize if it's having the desired interaction connected the lodging shortage successful the Prince Edward Island capital.

After years of discussions, a grace period, and licensing delays, new rules dictating who is allowed to run a short-term rental (STR) came into afloat unit successful precocious 2023.

The hope? That it would help combat Charlottetown's debased vacancy complaint and amended lodging affordability. 

"I would accidental we request a mates of much years of due information for america to spot whether oregon not we're going to get immoderate bully impacts connected our lodging stock, whether oregon not we're going to summation the integrity of our neighbourhoods in our communities," Deputy Mayor Alanna Jankov said successful an interrogation with CBC News.  

Data from the metropolis shows that successful the archetypal year, 215 applications were approved. Of those, 82 operators were successful spot earlier the bylaw passed and were granted "legal non-conforming" status.

No fines issued

So acold the metropolis said nary fines person been issued. However, it has taken much than 100 "enforcement actions," including having immoderate properties removed from online platforms.

"Enforcement is complaint-driven," said Jankov. "In astir situations, they've been precise consenting to enactment with the bylaw enforcement astir compliance."

The archetypal and 2nd clip idiosyncratic doesn't travel the STR rules, Jankov said, a bylaw serviceman is apt to punctual them of the regularisation and supply a definite magnitude of clip to marque changes. She said that's moving good close now; radical thin to either marque the changes oregon determine to rent retired the portion semipermanent instead. 

"Because we're truthful caller into it, we haven't had to get to that adjacent measurement yet of charging folks," she said. 

'Some hiccups'

If you unrecorded successful Charlottetown, the regulations accidental you tin rent retired each oregon portion of a main residence — that is, the location successful which you unrecorded — connected a short-term basis. Apartments are not included, and you tin person lone 1 spot listed. The exertion interest is $175. 

There person been concerns astir the $2,000,000 commercialized liability security required for operators nether the regulations, Jankov said. 

"Staff are looking into that to spot whether oregon not that is simply a champion practice," she said. "There's ever going to beryllium immoderate hiccups ... you're ever going to observe things successful your bylaw that possibly request immoderate further investigation."

A database of each the legally registered short-term rental units is disposable connected the city's website; scroll down and click on 
Approved Tourist Home (Short-Term Rental) Permit List. As of April 25th, much than 140 had been approved for the year. 

"If you don't spot that code there, past you'll cognize that they're not licensed," said Jankov.

"Over the years, we'll person mode better, much close information to truly beryllium capable to portion successful connected what this really looks similar for the City of Charlottetown."