Short Term Owners and Operators Information

For STR By-law details and queries, please contact Municipal Law Enforcement and Licensing at 705-324-9411 ext. 1212.

Kawartha Lakes does not maintain private wells or water systems. Property owners are responsible for all maintenance, repairs and water quality testing on any private well that you own. From the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (HKPR) District Health Unit:

"If your business or premise provides drinking water to the public and you do not get your drinking water from a municipal drinking water system, you may be the owner or operator of a small drinking water system. The owners/operators of these systems need to follow the requirements of the Small Drinking Water System regulations — Ontario Regulation 319/08 — to ensure that this water is safe to drink.

Short Term Rentals, will be assessed by the HKPR District Health Unit using the definition of a 'Public Facility' under Ontario Regulation 319/08: Small Drinking Water Systems. Those that meet the definition of 'a place that operates primarily for the purpose of providing overnight accommodation to the travelling public,' will be subject to a risk assessment by a Public Health Inspector."

For more information please visit the HKPR's Small Water Drinking Systems page.

Please note that when your completed STR business application is received it goes through a number of steps:

• Staff may contact you to discuss the application details and confirm receipt. The application status will be pending.
• Applications that are missing documents/information may increase review and circulation time periods causing the application process and status to change to on hold until the required information is submitted. For example, information that will impact and delay the STR business licence application process may simply be missing details such as who the responsible person will be, or ownership details. Also the application status will be changed to on hold, if the applicant requires septic system work or a building permit for compliance with the Building Code Act or for other regulation compliance.
• Next the business application is circulated for evaluation to municipal staff and external agencies for feedback. A fully complete application may be processed within four to six weeks (intake timing may reduce this time period). The circulation process automatically changes the status of your STR business licence application to on hold.
• Upon completion of circulation, the demerit points will be reviewed and locations with existing points of seven or greater may impact the issuance of an STR licence and the application could be denied. A denied status will be communicated directly to the applicant with appeal information.
• In the final stage, staff conduct a review and if the processes are complete the application will be approved, the status will be changed to L-Active and the applicant will be notified by email or phone call advising of the application approval.

Status changes are generally communicated to the applicant. However if you want to discuss your application, have not been contacted and wish to verify your status please contact the Municipal Law and Licensing Clerk by calling 705-324-9411 extension 1328, or emailing str@kawarthalakes.ca

The Municipal Law Enforcement and Licensing office is also open to the public, feel free to visit in person at 37 Lindsay Street South, Lindsay, Ontario, K9V 2L9

Please note that Short Term Rental owners or operators can be held accountable for the actions of their guests. If a Municipal By-law is broken, By-law fines can be charged to the individuals who violated the regulation and inspection fees can be charged to the property owner. See the inspection fees listed above.