I was originally introduced to Tiny Township in my late teens by a friend whose family had a cottage in the Allenwood Beach area. The few times I was fortunate to be invited for the weekend, it was an escape from the city where I could enjoy the fresh air and scenery. We’d go for walks, enjoy the outdoor firepit and even take in the sunsets from the beachfront. 

Fast forward 20 years, I got married and soon we were a family of 5 with a dog! I remembered my experiences in Tiny and wanted to share that with my family. 

WHY WE SHORT TERM RENT 

Our STR meant stability for our family in the future. We had a rental condo for several years in the city. While we were happy with the investment, we wanted something that we could also enjoy with family, so we decided to sell our rental condo to buy a cottage instead. We were familiar with Airbnb as travelers, so the idea of short-term rental wasn’t foreign to us. 

Our plan was simple. Rent the cottage during the summer, keeping a few summer weeks for our own enjoyment. This would help us pay the mortgage and satisfy our own enjoyment needs. As the mortgage is paid down, it would become our personal retirement home allowing us to give our children stability to build upon in their adult years. 

Our focus has been to rent to families like our own, with kids, and even those with special needs. We kept costs low, as to make our cottage affordable for families and also to be selective in who we rented to. We never wanted to feel the desperation of needing to rent to anyone with an offer. 

We’ve always had good relations with our immediate neighbours, and even had them refer their own family and friends to rent our cottage. We’ve had return guests every summer who appreciate what we’ve put into the cottage and also the fact we treat them like friends and family. Some have even helped out doing repairs while visiting as they treat it like home even when they rent. 

One of the most promising aspects I’ve noticed since my initial visits to Tiny is the increase in visible minorities like myself. To have a cottage as a bi-racial family, it’s nice to see more families like my own passing by on our walks, at the local stores and restaurants, and at the beach. 

STR IMPACT PERSONALLY AND IN TINY TOWNSHIP 

The STR bylaw affects not only STR hosts, but other tiny residents that depend on the cottage business – the people we’ve been employing and supporting over the years 

The last 2 years, the pandemic and the significant increase in visitors to Tiny were an anomaly, which should not be the basis for enforcing a severely detrimental bylaw. A bylaw that would result in us having to rent more in order to cover additional licensing and admin costs. 

The local cleaners, landscapers, handypersons, and local stores we employ and support would also lose not just our business, but the other cottages that employ them. 

They’ve already expressed this to us when talking about the drop-off in rentals since the summer ended. The previous council’s concern with affordable housing doesn’t consider how many current locals depend on the cottage business to maintain their own full-time residency. 

What about the risk of lack of privacy and an increasing theft? 

We also have concerns about privacy and theft. Having a list of essentially empty homes on a public website is a calling card for thieves. I’ve had to install security cameras and remote monitoring and have already had instances of trespassers on my property, let alone online threats from vocal locals claiming my family shouldn’t be there if we ‘can’t own the cottage outright’. 

Not to mention putting our financial security at risk 

This would also impact our own financial solvency, which could force us to sell our beloved cottage. While most Tiny residents tell stories of spending summers with families and eventually inheriting their vacation homes, I was not fortunate enough to inherit mine. 

Responsible Hosts of Tiny – Representing 100+ STR owners within the Township and growing every day.

This cottage is the beginning of my family’s story, a story I hope my kids can tell to their families when they enjoy Tiny in the future. 

I hope the council is starting to understand the detrimental effect of this bylaw on many families like ours, and will consider changing the course.