Running short-term rentals around Blue Mountain, where two neighbouring towns license them in different ways
If you manage or clean short-term rentals near Blue Mountain, the town line matters. The Town of The Blue Mountains treats any stay under 30 days as a short-term accommodation, licenses it only on land zoned for that use, and charges an administrative penalty of $2,500 for operating without a licence. Collingwood's licensing by-law took effect on January 6, 2025 with a cap of 200 licences, and every class is tied to the host's own principal residence. Upbridge's AI operations assistant, Cleo, works over WhatsApp with vacation rental operators and cleaning companies and organizes the cleanings and the inventory for each place.
The rules here
Each town has its own licensing by-law and its own accommodation tax. We went through both towns' pages on October 24, 2026, and amounts are in Canadian dollars.
| Topic | What it says | Status | Since | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Mountains licence | Any property rented for less than 30 days needs a short-term accommodation licence under By-law 2021-70, and only on lands where the zoning lists it as a permitted use. The initial licence for a two-year term is $2,500, after an $80 eligibility inquiry, a $60 submission fee and a fire inspection. | In force | August 23, 2021 | Town of The Blue Mountains, licensing page |
| Moratorium outside the exception area | Council stopped accepting applications for Type B licences, outside the exception area, for properties that were not licensed before January 1, 2023. Existing Type B licences can still be renewed. | In force | March 27, 2023 | Town of The Blue Mountains |
| Blue Mountains penalties | The licence, the approved fire safety plan and the fire inspection report are posted at the front entrance, and the licence number goes on every advertisement, website and rental contract. Operating without a licence brings a $2,500 penalty, and advertising without one, exceeding occupancy, failing to post the licence or a responsible person who cannot be reached each bring $500. | In force | By-law 2021-71 | Town of The Blue Mountains |
| Collingwood licence | A licence is required under By-law 2024-078, and licences stop at 200, with later applicants placed on a waitlist. A guest room licence costs $1,250, a whole-house principal residence licence $2,250, and an additional residential unit licence $2,500. All three classes depend on a single detached dwelling being the licensee's principal residence. | In force | January 6, 2025 | Town of Collingwood |
| Collingwood occupancy | A whole-house or additional-unit licence allows two people per approved guest room and eight in total. A guest room licence allows up to three rooms with the licensee on site from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. The responsible person has to be able to attend the property within sixty minutes. | In force | January 6, 2025 | Town of Collingwood |
| Accommodation tax | The Blue Mountains charges a 4% Municipal Accommodation Tax on stays of less than 30 days, including those booked through Airbnb and VRBO. Collingwood charges 4%, plus HST, on stays of 28 days or less. | In force | January 6, 2025 and March 1, 2025 | Town of The Blue Mountains, Town of Collingwood |
The Blue Mountains has been reviewing both by-laws; its last update, on July 25, 2025, said a working group was still discussing demerit points, penalties and the responsible person's role. This is not legal or tax advice, and Upbridge does not file anything for you: no registrations and no tax returns.
How it works on the ground
Blue Mountain Resort opens its 85th winter season on Thursday, December 10, CTV reported on October 14, 2026. Linens, firewood and the first restock for the ski season are easier to sort in November than in the week the lifts start turning.
In Collingwood the host lives in the house, so a manager there works for someone who is often home or nearby, and the eight-person cap applies whether or not they are. Cottage Life reported in December 2024 that a review of the platforms had found about 380 illegal rentals in town before the licensing by-law, nearly twice the number of licences the town now allows.
In The Blue Mountains a $500 penalty for an unposted licence makes the front entrance part of every turnover. The papers there are the licence, the fire safety plan and the inspection report, and a guest who takes one down by accident costs the owner the same as a guest who brings too many friends.
Where Upbridge fits
Upbridge takes the checkouts from Guesty, Hostaway, Lodgify, Uplisting or an iCal link and opens a cleaning task for each one, with a room-by-room photo checklist. In The Blue Mountains the first item can be a photo of the three documents at the front entrance, so you know they were there when the cleaner left.
Ski weekends burn through firewood, hot chocolate and towels. Inventory per property subtracts what each stay used and shows which chalet needs a restock before Friday. Guests get the guest guide on their phone with the driveway, the parking limit and how to get in after dark.
If you run a cleaning company around Blue Mountain
Your clients may be chalet managers in The Blue Mountains and Collingwood hosts who live in the house you clean. The cleaning company account puts all of their changeovers on one dated list, so the Sunday after a ski weekend can be planned on Thursday, and each client remains your own.
Questions about short-term rentals in The Blue Mountains and Collingwood
Do I need a licence for a short-term rental in The Blue Mountains?
Yes, for any rental of less than 30 days, and the property has to be in a zone where short-term accommodation is a permitted use. Operating without a licence brings an administrative penalty of $2,500.
Can a new property get a Type B licence in The Blue Mountains?
Not at the moment. Council placed a moratorium on new Type B applications on March 27, 2023 for properties not licensed before January 1, 2023, and the town's fee table still shows it. Existing Type B licences can be renewed.
Can I run an Airbnb in Collingwood if I don't live there?
No. All three Collingwood licence classes require a single detached dwelling that is the licensee's principal residence, and the town stops issuing licences at 200.
More questions
When does Blue Mountain Resort open for the 2026-27 season?
CTV reported on October 14, 2026 that the resort is scheduled to open on Thursday, December 10, for its 85th winter season.
Sources
Checked on October 24, 2026
- Town of The Blue Mountains, “Short Term Accommodations”, undated, read October 24, 2026.
- Town of The Blue Mountains, “Short Term Accommodation Licensing”, undated, read October 24, 2026.
- Town of The Blue Mountains, “Short Term Accommodation By-law Review”, last update July 25, 2025.
- Town of The Blue Mountains, “Municipal Accommodation Tax”, undated, read October 24, 2026.
- Town of Collingwood, “Short-Term Accommodations”, undated, read October 24, 2026.
- Andrew Cruickshank, Cottage Life, “Collingwood just passed a new bylaw that will permit up to 200 short-term rentals”, December 6, 2024.
- Julianna Balsamo, CTV News Barrie, “Blue Mountain Resort unveils opening date for 85th winter ski season”, October 14, 2026.