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Ruth Bonneville \/ Free Press Files<\/p>\n
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Coun. Vivian Santos says the number of complaints about short-term rentals that her office receives has gone down.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Santos said the number of complaints her office receives about short-term rentals has declined since the licensing program started.<\/p>\n
City council began licensing the businesses following complaints that some short-term rentals attracted wild parties, excessive noise, hallway fights, and crime.<\/p>\n
The city\u2019s rules allow owners to operate one short-term rental unit, which must be their primary residence. However, permanent residents of Winnipeg, and corporations wholly owned by Winnipeggers, are permitted to rent out one primary residence and up to three short-term rental units they don\u2019t live at via a grandfather clause, as long as they owned the properties before Feb. 23, 2023.<\/p>\n
The licence requires operators to accept a city inspection, complete a police record review, keep detailed rental records, adhere to fire protection bylaws, provide guests a 24\/7 emergency contact, list a contact number at the exterior of each rental, post human trafficking information and ensure guests don\u2019t create excessive noise, among other rules.<\/p>\n
The city is monitoring the units to ensure all of the above happens, said Santos.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a lot more enforcement that is now happening and I think that is good in getting people into compliance at a more successful rate,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
She remains concerned, however, about the risk of trafficking though she did not have data on how often it happens.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe public is more aware that we have these bylaws and we have bylaw officers who can actually stay on top of these issues.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re still seeing that happening all across the city in our hotels and (short-term rentals) \u2026 We\u2019re trying to crack down on that,\u201d said Santos.<\/p>\n
Crime data was not included in the report as the Winnipeg Police Service and city staff are still working on a way to identify police responses linked to short-term rental units.<\/p>\n
City enforcement involves both resident complaints and proactive inspections, while a third-party monitoring service was hired to keep track of online listings for the rentals.<\/p>\n
The city conducted 930 inspections and 843 \u201cspot checks\u201d in 2025\/26, issuing 175 compliance orders and 85 penalty notices.<\/p>\n
The most common offence was operating without a licence, which triggered 41 penalties.<\/p>\n
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Mike Diehl, who lives in a downtown building with many short-term rental units, said he has personally noticed fewer incidents over the past year.<\/p>\n
Diehl said wild parties, police responses and nuisance fire alarm use appear to have become less common.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would say that it\u2019s subsided somewhat but it definitely is (still) not comfortable for the people on floors where (most units) are Airbnbs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Diehl said complaints have become easier to report, since the city began licensing the units.<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t MIKE DEAL \/ FREE PRESS FILES<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \u201cThe city system, I think, gives us an avenue to say this unit on this floor at this address is causing us a problem,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The city report notes the municipal government collected about $392,000 from licensing fees in 2025\/26 and earned about $1.16 million from a six per cent accommodation tax charged on short-term rentals.<\/p>\n During that year, 63 licence applications were denied or withdrawn, 29 licences were cancelled, one was suspended and four were revoked, while the city also collected $32,000 in fines.<\/p>\n Mayor Scott Gillingham said continued monitoring of the industry, and sharing the results of the licensing program, is important.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an opportunity that we\u2019ll have to speak to our staff (about) to see \u2026 what more needs to be done to make sure that property owners and short-term rental owners are following the rules,\u201d said Gillingham.<\/p>\n The head of an association that represents owners of the businesses said the regulations were needed for the growing industry.<\/p>\n \u201cShort-term rental\u2019s not going anywhere. It\u2019s vital to our economy.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cShort-term rental\u2019s not going anywhere. It\u2019s vital to our economy,\u201d said Melanie Mitchell, president of the Manitoba Association of Short-Term Rental Owners.<\/p>\n Mitchell said city penalties should help deter the few \u201cbad operators\u201d that have hurt the industry\u2019s image.<\/p>\n However, she believes Winnipeg\u2019s fees are too high, noting she pays nearly $3,000 to license three properties each year, deeming the amount \u201cpunitive.\u201d<\/p>\n Mitchell also hopes the city will remove a 29-night limit on individual short-term rentals, which she says has cost her thousands of dollars in lost income on potential longer-term stays.<\/p>\n joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca<\/p>\n X: @joyanne_pursaga<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Joyanne Pursaga Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Joyanne produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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