Gimli cracks down on noisy, short-terms rentals

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A lakeside community hopes new regulations will end the excessive noise and partying that can come along with short-term rental properties.

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Last fall the RM released a survey asking residents of the community, that is a popular summer destination for cottagers and tourists, what they thought were the positive and the negative aspects of short-term rentals and Airbnb-type operations in the area.

Of the approximately 1,000 residents who took part in the survey, 60% said that the issue of excessive noise was the biggest harm that short-term rentals were causing.

“We saw a lot of concern about the risk of parties, extra garbage, people bringing too many dogs, and creating too much noise,” RM of Gimli Councillor Thora Palson said.

But Palson said most who took part in the survey also referenced the positive effects of short-term rental properties and said they would like them to continue, but be more regulated, similar to how hotel rentals are regulated in the province.

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“Many people in the community spoke in favour of short-term rentals,” she said. “Short-term rentals provide accommodations that attract families and even multi-generational visits, as families spend quality time with their children and grandparents.

“This is good for our social fabric and for the economy of the municipality.”

Earlier this year Gimli’s council passed what they call “a first of its kind” in Manitoba short-term rental bylaw and puts specific regulations on those renting out properties and those who rent properties.

Short-term rental owners in Gimli must purchase a $200 license annually for each unit they rent out, and if there is more than one rental unit in a single property, they must obtain a separate license for each unit.

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The bylaw is also trying to prevent large groups of renters and possibly partiers staying in a single unit, by allowing only two renters per bedroom in a unit, and no additional tents or trailers are allowed on those properties.

They are also hoping to curb the excessive noise that many Gimli residents said was a concern, as “quite hour” regulations for short-term rental properties are between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Owners must also now have proper smoke and CO2 detectors, a visible fire extinguisher, and an emergency exit plan, as Palson said it was also important to improve safety for those renting units in Gimli.

Palson added most on council believe those who rent out properties are doing so with good intentions and often as an extra source of income, and not hoping to attract those looking just to party and make excessive noise.

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“In some cases, the ability to have a short-term rental is what helps owners better afford a cottage,” Palson said.

According to Palson, the new regulations have been receiving mostly positive feedback, and she said council spent months getting resident feedback before creating and passing the bylaw.

“As a council, we are proud of the job Gimli did in community engagement, and we were very pleased that almost 1,000 people shared their views through our survey,” she said. “These views were listened to before decisions were made, and the process helped us determine what regulations were required.”

She added other communities dealing with similar issues may want to look at Gimli’s new bylaw and what went into creating it, to see if a similar reponse might work in those communities.

“The job of a politician is to listen,” Palson said. “But what works for Gimli might not work for another community. The first step is the most important. You need to develop a process that encourages people to participate in the process.”

— Dave Baxter is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of the Winnipeg Sun. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.

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