SUBMITTED BY JASON CLEMENTS, NOTL.
OPINION

Dear editor:

Re: “Town urged to crack down on short-term rentals,” The Lake Report, June 6:  

As the owner of Niagara Holiday Rentals, I’m concerned about the continued suggestion that short-term rentals in Old Town only be owner-occupied and that there are problems with absent owners and noise complaints. 

We manage 25 short-term rentals, all in Old Town, and I encourage any neighbour of our properties to contact me should there ever be a noise problem or complaint at any of the houses that we manage. 

I constantly keep an eye on our houses and our guests and should our houses ever be empty for more than a week I am sure to stop in and ensure the house and the property are maintained. 

Niagara Holiday Rentals has been in operation for 10 years and my wife and I recently purchased it and I have yet to hear of any problems with our properties.

I will try and make a more concerted effort to meet and talk with the neighbours of the properties that we manage, but you can’t miss our van, so if you see me, don’t hesitate to come talk to me about any concerns or just to say hi and introduce yourself.

My phone number is on the door of all the houses that we manage, so feel free to call me with any issues.  

We live in town and are proud to be able to share all that the town has to offer with our guests. 

We are also owners and operators of a bed and breakfast and we know that the guests we have at our B & B are different than the guests that we have at our cottages. We also own and have managed our own vacation rental for three years before joining Niagara Holiday Rentals. 

There are many families and guests who come here for up to a week, sometimes longer. An owner-occupied property or bed and breakfast is too expensive for these longer stays.

Renting an entire home for the family allows them to cook a few meals and not spend a lot of money eating out every day. A few of our homes also allow pets, which aren’t allowed at a bed and breakfast.

As owner of a dog ourselves, we know that our dog is part of the family and we want to take her with us when we travel for vacation.

Jason Clements

NOTL