Bylaw Services removed 787 listings from Airbnb in the first year of Ottawa’s short-term rental bylaw, which only allows property owners to rent out their primary homes.

A new report for the Emergency and Protective Services Committee says the city has issued just over 800 short-term permits for properties in Ottawa, while Airbnb registered at least 12 property management firms or individual managers.

The memo, written by Bylaw Services Director Roger Chapman, says the city refused permits to 46 applicants for various reasons during the first year, “most often because the property is not the applicant’s primary residence or because it is not zoned accordingly.”

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The city implemented the Short-Term Rental Bylaw in June 2022, with staff saying the regulations would help manage community nuisance issues arising from short-term rental activity and “protect housing inventory for residential use.” The bylaw requires property owners to obtain a permit, which costs $110 for two years, if they planned on renting out their principal residence or part of a residential unit for a period of less than 30 days.

“Although there are over 1,300 Airbnb listings, it is important to note that there is not a one-to-one relationship between hosts and listings,” Chapman says.