Charlottetown moves step closer to registry for secondary apartments

The city of Charlottetown has moved one step closer to more stringentregulations for apartments in people's homes.

The so-called secondary or garden suites were approved back in October as part of an affordable housing policy.

We applaud the city for taking proactive measures to come to grips with the proliferation of short-term residential rentalunits in the city. Tourism PEI

The planning department is now working on a new bylaw to create a registry for approved listings.

"If it's on the registry, it's met the fire and building code," said Coun. Greg Rivard, chair of the department.

Rivard said no such registry exists right now and he says the city believes there could be as many as 500 illegal apartments in the city.

He hopes more places will come forward and register.

Meeting safety standards

Rivard said the intent of the registry is mainlyto ensure rentals meet safety standards and thatthey've been inspected, however it could help make surelong-term rentals remain long-term rentals and aren't turned into tourist rentals once they're on the registry.

"Building that onto your home or having that in your home, no you can't use that accessory apartment as a short term-rental," Rivard said.

"We applaud the city for taking proactive measures to come to grips with the proliferation of short-term residential rentalunits in the city," officials with Tourism PEI said in an email.

"We are working with the city to develop a form applicants must fill out andhave approvedby the city before we will issue any tourism accommodationlicence. It will be the operator's responsibility to get the city's approval."

Rivard said the bylaw would require that units remain as long-term rentals, and legal action could be taken if the unit was used for a short-term rental.

"We would file a court injunction if needed," Rivard said.

Public meeting set

So far the city has received fiveapplications for apartments.

"We've approved twoand threeare pending," Rivard said.

Rivard said incentives have been put in place to encourage people to register,a $100 registration fee is being waived for twoyears.

The city has drafted thebylaw and it must now go to a public meeting scheduled for March 27.

It would go back to council for consideration and possibleapproval after that.

Rivardsaid it could be in place by the summer.

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