Calls forcity to enforce law to tackle 'ghost hotel' abuses

Centretown residentColin Gillespie has had big issues with the "ghost hotel" next to his Gilmour Streethome for months, but he didn't realize until this week's fatal shooting thatthe short-term rental was actually illegal.

On Wednesday morningManyok Akol, 18, was killed and three other male victims, including a 15-year-old boy, were seriously injured in a shooting at 490 Gilmour St.

The next day,city's by-law services issued a notice of violation to theowner of the Gilmour Streetrental, citing thatthe city'sby-laws "prohibit short-term rentals in residential zones where the principal owner or lessee does not reside at the address."

Whole unit rentals where the property owner or lessee does not reside at the address are only permitted in mixed-use zones where hotels are also permitted, according to a city statement attributed toAnthony Di Monte, the city's general manager of emergency and protective services.

That was news to Gillespie, who is disappointed it took a shooting death for someone to finally do something about a propertythat had been the subject of numerous complaints.

"They should consider taking the enforcement of these things seriously. I don't think they're doing a good job with that," Gillespie said.

• Fatal shooting sparks call for more police in Centretown neighbourhood

Gillespie had complained to police and City of Ottawa bylaw multiple times about the residences at 488 and 490 Gilmour St., but he says nothing was done to deal with the stream of what he called "sketchy" people renting the eight units, the parties, the noise or the previous concerns about gunshots.

He says at one point a group of young people rented out all eight units for a party and he called bylaw to complain. The bylaw official asked if he knew the owner and Gillespie explained it was an Airbnb and he'd never met the owner.

According the Gillespie, the bylaw official said, "Oh well, if it happens again maybe we could lay a noise complaint fine."

Gillespie said there was no mention that the city could have issued anotice of violation for illegally operating an Airbnb.

Gunshots in May

This week's incident was also not the only time there was a shooting at the properties. He called police in May 2019 after he and his wife heard shotsin the early morninghours, outside their home.

"I woke up to the sound of gunshots. At the time my wife was five months pregnant. I woke her up and screamed at her to get on the floor and keep her head down," said Gillespie. "Then [Wednesday] there's a quadruple shooting."

A news release from May 23, 2019 confirms the police were called to investigate a shooting in the 400 block of Gilmour Street.

"Evidence of shell casings was located on scene and a vehicle received damage from the shooting. The Guns and Gangs Unit continues to investigate," police said in a news release at the time.

Gillespie was at work during Wednesday morning's shooting, but said his wife and two-month-old daughter were home.

"My wife took cover in the bathroom with our daughter after she heard the shots and screaming," said Gillespie.

On Wednesday, Airbnbconfirmed it has delisted the properties on Gilmour Street.

CBC has confirmed the houses at 488 and 490 Gilmour St. are owned by the Pierre Begin and Begin Family Holdings Inc.. Each house had four short-term rental units. Begin declined to comment when reached by CBC.

Short-term rentals not permitted

A consultant's report ordered by the city and published in May2019 notes: "the short-term rental of whole living units, such as a flat in an owner-occupied house, or in an apartment building, is not a permitted use in residential areas in Ottawa."

The report, called"Short-Term Housing Discussion Paper, Rental Accommodations Regulation Study" was published by Maclaren Municipal Consulting Inc. and says the use of short-term rental sites, including Airbnb "results in contraventions of the zoning rules in certain neighbourhoods."

Bylaw and regulatory services "typically" respondto short-term rentalviolations on a complaint-basis, according to the city statement attributed to Di Monte.

In November the city approved a new regulatory framework for short-term rentals with more stringent rules thatwill only permit short-term rentals in primary residences, but those by-lawsaren't yet in place.

• Neighbours remain skeptical about Airbnb's pledge to clamp down on party houses
• Ottawa's 'draconian' Airbnb rules will hurt students, landlord says
• Council approves new Airbnb, landlord rules

Centretown residents are just the latest raising concerns. Violence and shootings have also occurred at short-term rentals in Overbrookand Nepean.

Late last year, residents in a Nepean suburb pressured the city for more than a year to crack down on a two-storey home on Benson Street that hadbeen causing problems for neighbours.

On Oct.20, two men were shot at the residence and police investigated. Airbnbalso said the property was no longer listed on its site.