FAQs

To develop recommendations for short-term rental accommodations regulations that support:

• The health and safety of Winnipeg residents and renters of short-term rentals
• Diverse and equitable accommodation options in Winnipeg, contributing to tourism, economic development, and showcasing Winnipeg neighborhoods, including downtown
• The accountability of hosts and operators to neighbourhood livability standards and respond to concerns about noise, property damage, and illegal activities

Short-term rentals are temporary accommodations (less than 30 consecutive days) in a dwelling (house, condominium, apartment, etc.), provided by a property owner or principal tenant in exchange for payment. Common short-term rental platforms include Airbnb, Vrbo, and HomeAway.

Concerns included:

• Impacts on housing market and rental housing
• noise
• loss of sense of community
• property maintenance and damage
• neighbourhood safety
• illegal activity

Positive impacts included:

• flexibility regarding type of accommodation
• contribution to tourism industry
• income for hosts
• supports local economy
• contributes to sense of community
• increased business for local amenities

We considered a variety of regulatory tools, including: 

• Taxation
• Licences
• Land use and zoning
• Enforcement

Enforcement is key to the success of any regulations. 

To learn more about enforcement, go to winnipeg.ca/shorttermrentals. 

Enforcement is key to the success of any regulations. We will be considering an enforcement program as we develop and assess regulatory options. Enforcement will be managed on a complaint basis and may include a fine or license suspensions.

Please see the following website for more information: https://assessment.winnipeg.ca/asmttax/english/other_taxes/accommodation.stm. 

We connected with the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) to better understand the nature and extent of their experience and concerns with short-term rentals. We continue to work closely with the WPS as a licensing and enforcement program is implemented.  We will also be working with the WPS to develop information on Sex Trafficking and Human Trafficking for owners of short-term rentals, as directed by Standing Policy Committee on Property and Development, Heritage and Downtown Development.

There are several studies from across the world that look to address this question within other jurisdictions. Evidence suggests it is common for short-term rental accommodations to have a small but negative impact on local housing supply and affordability. Therefore, while the issue hasn’t been empirically investigated in Winnipeg, it would be reasonable to assume that the existence of STRAs has had a small and negative effect on affordability in the local rental and housing market, but the full extent is not known or quantified. 

Learn more about Housing Supply and Affordability Research.

The timeline for next steps is:

• October and November 2023 – By-law amendments are enacted and will come into force in 130 days

• January 2024 – Online registration for STRAs begins

• January – March 2024 – receipt, processing, and approval of STRA applications

• Spring 2024 – Licensing and Accommodation Tax by-laws come into force

Visit winnipeg.ca/shorttermrentals for the latest updates. 

Council approved a regulatory framework for short-term rentals along with associated by-law changes and resource requirements. By-law amendments will come into force in spring 2024, 130 days after their approval.

A licensing program will be implemented in 2024. To learn more, visit winnipeg.ca/shorttermrentals.