Drumheller’s town council has passed a bylaw to implement business licensing fees for short-term rentals (STRs) that includes Airbnb’s. There will be home-sharing rules and insurance directives included, that home owners will have to abide by under the new Bylaw.
“There has to be a safety plan that needs to be included with the license and emergency contacts have to be posted for the renters,” says Drumheller town councilor Crystal Sereda, “Our community is very visitor-driven, especially in the summer months, so we have to secure long-term rentals. We have to ensure that when visitors come they are having a good experience. If they are not having a good experience then they need to have contact with someone.”
If the owner lives in the home and is renting out a room or basement suite for short periods of time (less than 28 days) the annual business license fee will be $245. If the owner lives in town and rents out another home they do not reside in, the annual fee is $810. If a home is being rented out, and the owner lives outside of the Town of Drumheller (TOD), the fee will be $1010 annually.
There will be a cap for short-term rentals, set at 120 for a given year. The TOD will provide the current holders of the license first opportunity to register for renewal in following years. This cap will not apply to newly built homes and will be reviewed annually.
The Council mandates that applicants provide proof of home-sharing/STR insurance during the application process and principal residences will be given priority.
“We value the short-term rentals in our community. They provide a unique accommodation so we’re willing to work with them,” says Sereda.
Applications can be filled out for principal residents (those who currently operate an Airbnb) on Thursday February 1, 2024. Those who want to start home-sharing can apply for the business license as of Friday, March 1, 2024.
