Brampton is tightening the rules for businesses\u00a0operating\u00a0without proper\u00a0licenses, introducing higher fines for repeat offenders as the city looks to improve compliance and help protect residents who hire local service providers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
New amendments to Brampton\u2019s Stationary Business Licensing and Administrative Penalties bylaws took effect in July, creating a graduated penalty system for businesses that repeatedly\u00a0fail to\u00a0follow licensing requirements.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Under the updated rules, businesses that do not comply will face:\u00a0<\/p>\n
$500 for a first offence\u00a0<\/p>\n
$750 for a second offence\u00a0<\/p>\n
$1,000 for each\u00a0subsequent\u00a0offence\u00a0<\/p>\n
The city says the changes are intended to improve consistency across its licensing system, reduce administrative\u00a0barriers\u00a0and encourage businesses to meet municipal requirements.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A stationary business is a business that\u00a0operates\u00a0from a fixed location within Brampton and requires a municipal\u00a0licence\u00a0to\u00a0operate. The city\u00a0licences\u00a0more than 30 types of stationary businesses, including contractors such as roofers and driveway paving companies, fixed food premises, lodging homes, pet grooming\u00a0businesses\u00a0and other regulated operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
For residents, the licensing system\u00a0provides\u00a0a way to check whether a business has met the city\u2019s requirements before hiring them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This can be particularly important for homeowners looking to hire contractors for projects such as roofing,\u00a0renovations\u00a0or driveway paving. Brampton requires those contractors to be licensed, and the city\u00a0maintains\u00a0a list of licensed businesses to help residents verify that an operator has met municipal requirements.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Depending on the type of business, licensing requirements may include zoning approval, proof of insurance, required\u00a0training\u00a0and approvals from other agencies.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The city says licensing helps ensure businesses are\u00a0operating\u00a0in accordance with\u00a0local rules while providing residents with more information when choosing service providers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Along with increasing fines for businesses that violate the bylaw, Brampton has also made changes to insurance requirements for licensed short-term rentals.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Short-term rental operators must\u00a0maintain\u00a0general liability insurance with a minimum coverage of $2 million. The city has replaced the\u00a0previous\u00a0requirement for Commercial General Liability insurance with General Liability insurance while\u00a0maintaining\u00a0the same minimum coverage amount.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Licensed short-term rental operators and residential rental licensees will now have\u00a015 days, instead of\u00a010 days, to notify the city about changes to their required insurance coverage.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Brampton says it will continue\u00a0monitoring\u00a0licensed businesses and rental operators to ensure compliance with municipal bylaws.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Businesses that\u00a0fail to\u00a0meet licensing requirements could face a range of enforcement measures, including administrative penalties, provincial offence charges, orders to comply, or suspension or revocation of their\u00a0license.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The city says the updated rules are designed to create a more consistent licensing system while ensuring businesses\u00a0operating\u00a0in Brampton meet the standards\u00a0required\u00a0to serve the community.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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