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If you rent out your cottage, home or vacation property for stays of less than 28 days in a row, you need a Short-Term Rental Accommodation Business Licence.
This page will help you:
Remember, guests can be fined if they break local rules. Owners may also be charged inspection fees if issues need to be responded to at the property.
Please read the below sections before you apply.
When your documents are ready, you can apply online or print an application form. Select the "hosted" application only if you live at the property full-time and stay in an owner's suite while guests are renting the property.
As the owner or operator, you are responsible for helping your guests understand local rules before and during their stay.
Before guests arrive, share information about:
You are encouraged to print and post the Short-Term Rental Information Sheet inside your rental where guests can easily find it. This helps visitors enjoy their stay and helps avoid issues with neighbours.
Please familiarize yourself with By-Law 2023-111 to License, Regulate and Govern Short-Term Rental Accommodation Businesses in the City of Kawartha Lakes.
For STR By-law details and queries, please contact Municipal Law Enforcement and Licensing at 705-324-9411 ext. 1328
New for 2026 - Fire Safety Requirements on Site Diagrams
STRs are considered businesses and must comply with applicable regulations, including:
STRs must have:
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.
Please submit the following with your completed application:
An accessible version of a site plan drawing example is 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.
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.
The 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.
STR 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. Inspection fees increase if there are repeated issues at the same property.
| First Occurence | $121.00 |
| Second Occurence | $245.00 |
| Third Occurence | $490.00 |
| Fourth Occuence | $975.00 |
| Fifth Occurence | Fees Doubled |
City of Kawartha Lakes
P.O. Box 9000, 26 Francis Street,
Lindsay, ON, K9V 5R8
Telephone: (705) 324-9411
str@kawarthalakes.ca
Contact Us
Kawartha Lakes
P.O. Box 9000, 26 Francis Street
Lindsay, ON, K9V 5R8
Telephone: 705-324-9411
Toll free at 1-888-822-2225
After-hours emergencies: 1-877-885-7337
