Kincardine council is still working on how best to move forward with the implementation of a short-term rental accommodations (STRA) licensing program within the municipality.
Council heard a staff report that presented options for a tiered approach, but was unable to come to a decision at Wednesday’s council meeting.
Previously, council had directed staff to look into investigate STRA licensing, and the implementation of a Municipal Accommodations Tax (MAT).
Since February 2025 staff had reached out to motel operators, short-term rentals, the tourism sector, and the public.
Manager of Strategic Initiatives Lorie Fioze explained, “In all of the research that we did, we also talked with the municipalities, and it was really stressed that whatever we do around the MAT tax, there is a fairness perspective, as well as the sustainability perspective that we include short-term rental licensing as part of the MAT tax.”
At the November 12, 2025 meeting, Council provided direction to staff to revise the proposed Short-Term Rental Accommodation licensing by-law to include at least two tiers.
Staff have completed extensive consultation inside and outside of the municipality and reviewed 11 municipalities who have enacted tiers or categories for short-term rentals.
“They did talk about some benefits that really did help support some of our housing objectives,” Fioze shared. “Because it really helps us to track what if the housing market is for short-term rentals?”
In the report were main topics to consider for tiered licensing models:
1. Hosted versus un-hosted residences
2. Primary residence or secondary residence
3. The number of bedrooms a rental has
4. The number of days per year the accommodation is available.
During discussion, some members of council agreed that the STRA licensing should be based on the number of days available, and whether properties were hosted or un-hosted, but ultimately was unable to come to a final decision.
Votes were held the the option of implementing an STRA program that included two or more tiers based on restrictions, proceeding with a single-tier, discontinuing the implementation, or a fourth option that was determined by council.
A motion to defer a decision failed, but Mayor Kenneth Craig said that he would speak with the CAO and the clerk before bringing something for council to vote on at the next meeting.