Skip to content

Decision opens door to short-term rentals

The City of Fernie has opened the door to the short-term rental of secondary suites and units after amending the Official Community Plan to remove their prohibition.
11989221_web1_CityHall_Fernie
File photo File photo

The City of Fernie has opened the door to the short-term rental of secondary suites and units after amending the Official Community Plan to remove their prohibition.

At the regular meeting of council on May 14, councillors voted to adopt Bylaw 2343, which removes the explicit prohibition of STRs from the city’s most important bylaw, the Official Community Plan.

Manager of Planning Patrick Sorfleet stressed that the decision did not mean property owners could legally start renting out their suites on a short-term basis, but simply that the council could start a conversation about allowing them to do so.

“By this prohibition being removed, it means council can consider changes to other bylaws to perhaps allow the short-term rental of suites,” he said.

“Removal of prohibition does not mean it is now legal to short-term rent suites. It is still illegal, it is still a fineable offense… because it’s still not permitted in our business licensing bylaw.”

Sorfleet said it was still unclear whether STRs would have a positive or negative impact on the community.

He has recommended that council wait until the fall to consider any changes to either the City’s Zoning Bylaw and Licensing and Regulation Bylaw.

“Once we’ve had a year of operations of the current program, there’s likely going to be tweaks that we want to make anyway and it’s best to visit those comprehensively,” he said.