Central Elgin introduces licensing for short-term rentals to boost safety

There are about 200 to 300 short-term rentals in the Southwestern Ontario municipality, deputy clerk Delaney Leitch said.

A Southwestern Ontario municipality is implementing a program requiring short-term rental properties to have a licence to operate in the community.

Central Elgin, a largely rural municipality of about 14,000 that includes the popular beach community of Port Stanley, will require operators of short-term rentals – defined as part or all of a legally established dwelling rented to the public for less than 28 consecutive days – to have a valid licence to operate.

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Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, operators must hold a valid licence under the short-term rental accommodations bylaw before advertising, marketing or renting properties in Central Elgin, the municip