Short Term Owners and Operators Information

Short Term Rental By-Law

Short Term Rental owners and operators are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the new By-law. It can be found at the following link:

Download License, Regulate and Govern Short Term Rental Accommodation Businesses in the City of Kawartha Lakes By-law

For STR By-law details and queries, please contact Municipal Law Enforcement and Licensing at 705-324-9411 ext. 1328

Before You Apply

Smoke and CO2 Alarms

NEW for 2026 - Fire Safety Requirements on Site Diagrams

Smoke alarms must be installed in each sleeping room (every bedroom/sleeping area)
Smoke alarms must be installed in each hallway or area outside sleeping rooms (e.g. hallway between rooms)
At least one smoke alarm on each floor (required even if no sleeping area on that floor)
If there's a fuel-burning appliance in the STR (e.g. gas furnace, stove, fireplace) or an attached garage, a CO alarm must be installed outside each sleeping area, in the hallway near bedrooms, and on all floors of the STR.

STRs are considered businesses and must comply with applicable regulations, including:

Building Code Act
Electricity Act
Fire Protection and Prevention Act

STRs must have:

Proper insurance coverage
Adequate water and septic systems

Kawartha Lakes Fire Services

Small Drinking Water Systems

If your STR provides drinking water to the public and is not connected to a municipal water system, you may be classified as the owner or operator of a Small Drinking Water System (SDWS).
SDWS owners or operators must meet the requirements of Ontario Regulation 319/08, as set by the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge (HKPR) District Health Unit, to ensure safe drinking water.
More information about SDWS requirements is available through the Lakelands Health Unit

Small Drinking Water Systems

Documentation Needed for your Application

Please submit the following with your completed application:

- - Signed declaration of compliance with applicable by-laws (included in the form)
  - Proof of property ownership
  - Copy of the property owner’s driver’s licence
  - Proof of general liability insurance (minimum $2,000,000 coverage)
  - A scaled and dimensioned site diagram and floor plan showing:
    - Room uses
    - Locations of smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, early warning devices, and fire extinguishers
    - Maintenance record locations for safety equipment
    - Gas and electrical shut-offs
    - All entrances, exits and windows.
    - Exterior features, including decks, parking spaces, and other structures
    - Buildings/structures, wells, and sewage system components

View an example of a Site Plan Drawing (accessible version available upon request)

Since your Short Term Rental is a business it must be in compliance with the Building Code Act, Fire Protection and Prevention Act, Electricity Act and it must have proper insurance and water and septic capabilities. Please note that before submitting an application, the municipality recommends that Short Term Rental owners or operators recognize other applicable regulations that may impact their property.

Apply for your Short Term Rental Business Accomodation Licnese

Please note only submit application HOSTED if you live at the property full time and stay in an owners suite noted on site plan while guest are renting the property.

Online Short Term Rental Application Printable Short Term Rental Application

I've submitted my STR Accommodation Business Licence application, now what?

Please note that once your completed STR business application is received, it goes through several review steps. Staff will send a confirmation of receipt email. The process from submission to approval, without departmental concerns, may take approximately 2–4 weeks. Licensing Fee is non-transferrable and Non Refundable

Once the application is received, it, along with the additional required documents, is reviewed to ensure it is complete and that the required information on the application and supporting documents is correct.

If additional information or corrections to the application package are required, Licensing Administrative Staff will contact you by email and/or phone. At this stage, the application is considered Pending and will remain in Pending status until the requested corrections or information are provided.

Once the application package is complete, it is circulated by email to various departments for review and agency approval. If a department requires additional information, they will contact the applicant directly by email with their request. At this stage, the application is considered In Email Circulation.

If concerns are identified, the application will move to the Department Concerns stage. The application will remain Pending in this stage until the requirements are met or a conditional agreement with the department is reached. At that time, the application may move to the Conditional Issue/Issue stage.

If there are no concerns from the reviewing agencies, the application will move to the Issue stage. The Licensing Clerk will then process and issue your license with the maximum capacity permitted under the Ontario Building Code and the Fire Protection and Prevention Act.

How do fines and potential penalties work?

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.

Occurrence Inspection Fees

First Occurence	$121.00
Second Occurence	$245.00
Third Occurence	$490.00
Fourth Occuence	$975.00
Fifth Occurence	Fees Doubled

Short Term Rental Information Sheets

Short Term Rental Owners are also encouraged to download and print out the following two documents to place in your Short Term Rental for renters and visitors to read upon arrival:

STR Information Sheet for Renters and Owners STR Information Sheet for Complaints