Anyone operating a short-term rental unit in the Town of Essex has until the end of the month to apply for the required license.
In May the town passed a bylaw requiring all operators to get a license.
"We had some concerns with some STRs and wanted a better way to get a hold of these property owners and to be able to regulate and enforce certain requirements," said Lori Chadwick, director of development services with the Town of Essex.
Since implementing a licensing requirement for short-term rental units, the Town of Essex has received around 60 applications.
Moving forward, new short-term rental units will only be permitted to operate (with a license) in commercial, agricultural, and select green districts.
Only those short-term rental units already in operation in residential districts on or before May 9 are eligible for a license. Anyone wishing to open a new short-term rental unit in a residential district will be required to apply for a zoning amendment.
"If we do discover that there may be an STR that has not submitted a license, we do have a process in place to be able to follow through and make sure we can enforce the requirements of that licensing," said Chadwick.
More information about the application process can be found online on the Town of Essex's website. The deadline to apply is December 31, 2022.
