Milton residents fear another noisy summer as Town works out short-term rental bylaw

The Town of Milton’s regulations for managing AirBnB’s and other short-term rentals won’t happen soon enough for some residents who fear they will have to endure another summer of loud parties by temporary neighbours.

During a recent meeting, Milton councillors heard that a short-term rental licensing bylaw likely won’t be ready until later this year and until then enforcement of complaints will rely on current rules or those laws outlined by the Provincial government that some say don’t go far enough.

Several councillors complained the process of coming up with a permanent bylaw is taking too long and asked for the timeline to be speeded up. They indicated Milton residents are concerned another summer will go by without any resolution to their noise complaints as homes are rented out to partiers.

As it stands now, an individual can be fined per offensive to up to $1,000 if a ticket is issued and up to $50,000 if the complaint is more serious and ends up in court.

“It really is important that we have something to work with this summer,” said Ward 2 Councillor John Challinor. “Because that typically is the time of the year where there is an issue with party houses and a lot of loud noise.”

Town staff members indicated they are working on a made-in-Milton solution but that several steps must take place before a permanent bylaw is put into place.

Councillors also heard that exiting bylaws do cover many of the areas of concern but resident don’t not know they exist. The Town plans to embark on a public relations campaign to let residents know what they can do if they have a noise complaint.