Kawartha Lakes: questions buyers ask
What public rules cover short-term rentals in Kawartha Lakes?
By-law 2023-111, to license, regulate and govern short-term rental accommodation businesses, as summarised on the City's owners and operators page, and the 2026 licence application.
Sources checked October 29, 2026
The rule in Kawartha Lakes
- A licence, permit or registration is needed
Kawartha Lakes by-law 2023-111: a City licence is needed to rent a dwelling for fewer than 28 consecutive days, hosted or un-hosted, with at most two renters per bedroom plus two (under-15s not counted), no guests after 11 pm, no un-hosted rental to anyone under 25, $2 million liability insurance and the licence number on every listing.
From Kawartha Lakes by-law 2023-111, checked 29 Oct 2026
- The recordShort-term rentals
- Where to read itShort-term rentals: owners and operators; By-law 2023-111 and 1 more
- The free check reads itPick “Rental and short-term rental rules”
What the record shows
The City's page says renting a cottage, home or vacation property for stays of less than 28 days in a row needs a Short-Term Rental Accommodation Business Licence. By-law 2023-111 limits renters to two for each approved bedroom plus two more (people under 15 not counted), allows no guests on the premises after 11 pm, bars renting an un-hosted rental to anyone under 25 or a hosted one to anyone under 18, and requires the licence number on every listing. An application needs proof of ownership, $2 million of liability insurance and a site diagram and floor plan showing smoke and carbon monoxide alarms, wells and sewage system parts.
The 2026 application lists a hosted licence at $200 for six months or $400 a year and an un-hosted one at $875 or $1,750; owners can also be charged inspection fees, from $121 for a first occurrence and rising with repeats. The City's additional units guide says an additional unit may hold a short-term rental licence if it meets the by-law. The by-law is the public rule. Whether a particular home holds a licence is a separate question.
Where to read it yourself
- Short-term rentals: owners and operators: the City's summary of the licence, documents and inspection fees
- By-law 2023-111: the short-term rental licensing by-law (Word document)
- 2026 short-term rental licence application: the licence fees for 2026 (PDF)
What OfferDue covers in Kawartha Lakes
Rental and short-term rental rules is in the free check as a summary of the City's by-law, from our hand-kept table, linked to the City's page. The full report adds the home-business rule. Neither says how a given home is used.
Free check: pick “Rental and short-term rental rules” See the sample report
Public-record information, not legal, financial, insurance or inspection advice. Records change and can be incomplete, and this page describes the records, not any particular home. What we cover, city by city.