The Town of Gravenhurst is urging you to be good neighbors, as it’s always better when we all get along.
A bit of background – Council had asked staff to look into the issue of short-term rentals (STR) after some concerns were raised. As a first step to address those issues, staff launched the Good Neighbour approach in a bid to begin a proactive effort.
We sat down with Gravenhurst’s Manager of Planning Services Melissa Halford to learn more.
We’ve heard a bit about this Good Neighbour program, can you tell us what it is and why it came to be?
“Now that the summer is heating up, and most of us are out enjoying this great summer weather, we wanted to make sure everyone is being a good neighbor, not only as a property owner, but also a good renter and as a landlord,” says Halford. “Being a good neighbor means being considerate of those around you, like keeping the music down, keeping your lawn tidy, parking in a respectful manner and not on neighboring properties and putting garbage and recycling where it belongs – overall, it’s just making sure you are aware of the bylaws in the Town so that you abide by them.”
What are the bylaws that are in place, and how do I report when someone isn’t following them?
“All the relevant Town bylaws regarding being a good neighbor can be found at Gravenhurst.ca/goodneighbour,” says Halford. “These include a noise bylaw, parking bylaws, property standards bylaws which addresses keeping your property tidy and safe, open burning bylaw and community standards. If you think your neighbor isn’t following the rules, it is always best to just talk to them directly, they may not be aware there is an issue! If you’ve tried the friendly route and it hasn’t worked, you can call our Bylaw team, who are here to help. Bylaw officers are on duty 7-7, 7 days a week. If an issue arises outside this time, you can use the Report It page on the Towns website, and the bylaw team will respond as soon as possible, most times the following day. If the matter requires immediate attention, you can call the non-emergent OPP line, or 911 if it is an actual emergency.”
Short Term Rentals seem to be a hot topic – can you talk about what an owner should do if they plan to rent their home as a STR?
“First and foremost we suggest you just introduce yourself to your neighbors, let them know you are going to rent your place out, and consider giving them your number in case there are any issues and just try and develop a relationship with them,” says Halford. “Second, you can provide resources to your guests. Make sure that they know the Town’s launched this Good Neighbour approach, and make sure they courteous, kind and respectful to those around them. Make sure renters know about the relevant bylaws in place in the town and give them information on how garbage, recycling and compost can be handled, how the septic system works, if that’s how your property is serviced, and how noise can travel quite far across a lake, so to be mindful of that. The Town does have bylaw officers who can be called to enforce the bylaws if your neighbors are not being compliant, which may result in hefty fines for the renters and the owners.”
What are the key messages you want to get across about being a good neighbor?
“The Town of Gravenhurst wants everyone to be able to have a fun, safe and relaxing summer, while enjoying all the great things that the Town has to offer,” says Halford. “If you are going to be having some people over, give your neighbours a heads up, keep the music at a respectful level, be kind and courteous to those around you, know the rules that apply where you are and abide by them. Everyone has had a challenging 18 months – let’s all try make this a summer to remember, for all the right reasons.”