East Gwillimbury short term rental rules come down to one document: Zoning By-law 2018-043. Unlike most GTA municipalities, the by-law explicitly defines short term rental accommodation as a use, and it permits that use in exactly one place: the Town's Mixed Use zones, subject to Site Plan approval. It is not a permitted use in any residential zone, and there is no licensing by-law and no licence that can change that.
Everything below is cited to the by-law text itself. We downloaded the consolidated Zoning By-law 2018-043 (Office Consolidation, July 2024) from the Town of East Gwillimbury's zoning page and quote it verbatim with section numbers, so you can verify every claim yourself.
Quick Summary
What the By-law Actually Defines
Most Ontario zoning by-laws never mention short term rentals at all, which leaves owners guessing. East Gwillimbury's does. Section 2.7 of Zoning By-law 2018-043 defines the use in full:
"SHORT TERM RENTAL ACCOMMODATION: a dwelling unit or structure of any part thereof that operates or offers a place of temporary residence, lodging or occupancy by way of concession, permit, lease, license, rental agreement or similar commercial arrangement for any period less than thirty (30) consecutive calendar days, throughout all or any part of a calendar year. Short term rental accommodation shall not mean or include a hotel/motel, bed and breakfast establishment, tourist cabin or cottage, hospital, commercial resort unit or similar commercial or institutional use." Town of East Gwillimbury Zoning By-law 2018-043, Section 2.7 Definitions
Three things follow from that definition. First, any stay under 30 consecutive days is captured, whether you rent the whole house or one bedroom. Second, stays of 30 days or more are simply not short term rental accommodation, which is why mid-term rentals stay legal everywhere. Third, a bed and breakfast establishment is explicitly carved out as a different use with its own rules, covered below.
Where STRs Are Permitted: Mixed Use Zones Only
Table 6A in Section 6.1 lists the permitted uses for the Town's seven Mixed Use zones. "Short term rental accommodation" appears there with an X in every column, MU1 through MU7, each marked with special provision note (5), which reads:
"(5) Subject to Site Plan approval." Town of East Gwillimbury Zoning By-law 2018-043, Section 6.1, Table 6A special provisions
So a legal short term rental in East Gwillimbury needs two things: a property in a Mixed Use zone, and Site Plan approval from the Town. Mixed Use zones implement the Town's centres and corridors, meaning main street and intersection properties, not subdivision homes. Parking is also specified: Table 5B requires one parking space per bedroom for short term rental accommodation, with that requirement waived for units within apartment buildings or dwelling units in non-residential buildings.
Residential Zones: Not a Permitted Use
This is the part that matters for most homeowners and investors. Table 7A in Section 7.1 lists every use permitted in the residential zones (RPS, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, ER and HR). Short term rental accommodation is not on the list, and the by-law leaves no room for reading silence as permission. Directly above the table:
"If a use is not listed on the table, it is not permitted." Town of East Gwillimbury Zoning By-law 2018-043, Section 7.1 Permitted Uses
The practical meaning: a whole home Airbnb in a Holland Landing, Sharon, Queensville or Mount Albert subdivision is not a permitted use. There is no licence to apply for because no licensing by-law exists, and buying the property does not create the right. The only formal route to permission in a residential zone would be a zoning amendment application, which is expensive, slow, and rarely granted for STR use.
The B&B Route Is a Different Use
Some older guides (including an earlier version of this one) treated Airbnb hosting as something you could run under a bed and breakfast permission. The by-law does not support that reading: the STR definition above explicitly excludes bed and breakfast establishments, and the B&B use has its own definition with real conditions built in:
"BED AND BREAKFAST ESTABLISHMENT: an establishment within a single detached dwelling that provides sleeping accommodation (including breakfast and other meals, services, facilities and amenities for the exclusive use of guests) for the travelling or vacationing public in up to three guest rooms within a single dwelling that is the principle residence of the proprietor." Town of East Gwillimbury Zoning By-law 2018-043, Section 2.7 Definitions
Read the conditions closely: single detached dwelling, the proprietor's own principal residence, and a maximum of three guest rooms. That describes an owner hosting guests in their home, not an investment property. Table 7A permits the B&B use in three of the nine residential zones, and Table 11A permits it in the rural RU zone; the table columns do not read cleanly in the published PDF, so confirm your specific zone with the Town rather than assuming. Parking is one space per lodging room in addition to the dwelling's own requirement (Table 5A).
Check Your Zone First
Before buying any East Gwillimbury property with rental income in mind, confirm the zoning in writing. Two ways:
- Request a zoning certificate from the Town's Planning Department. It documents your property's zoning designation and permitted uses in writing and is the definitive answer.
- Read the by-law directly. The consolidated Zoning By-law 2018-043 and the zoning maps are posted on the Town's zoning page. Find your zone on the map, then check Table 6A (Mixed Use) or Table 7A (residential) for the permitted uses.
Planning Department: 905-478-4282 or planning@eastgwillimbury.ca.
Enforcement
Zoning contraventions are enforced by the Town's By-law Enforcement division, reachable through the Town at 905-478-4282. Penalty amounts are set by the Town and change periodically, so we deliberately do not quote fine figures here; confirm current amounts with By-law Enforcement directly. What the by-law itself establishes is the core fact that matters: an unlisted use is not permitted, and operating one is a contravention regardless of how the listing is described on Airbnb or VRBO.
Legal Alternatives if Your Zone Says No
If your property is in a residential zone, two rental strategies remain fully available:
The 30 day line is written directly into the by-law's definition: a stay of thirty consecutive days or more is not short term rental accommodation, full stop. Furnished mid-term rentals are ordinary tenancies under the Residential Tenancies Act, and demand is strong from insurance displacement guests, corporate relocations, and travelling healthcare workers. For most East Gwillimbury homeowners, mid-term is the income path that requires no zoning conversation at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I legally run an Airbnb in East Gwillimbury?
Only if your property is in one of the Town's Mixed Use zones. Zoning By-law 2018-043 lists short term rental accommodation as a permitted use in the MU1 through MU7 zones, subject to Site Plan approval (Section 6.1, Table 6A). None of the residential zone tables list the use, and the by-law states that a use not listed on the table is not permitted. Confirm your zone with the Planning Department at 905-478-4282 before listing.
Does East Gwillimbury have a short term rental licensing bylaw?
No. As of September 2026 East Gwillimbury has no dedicated STR licensing by-law, no registration number, and no licence fee. Regulation happens entirely through the Zoning By-law's permitted use tables. That cuts both ways: there is nothing to apply for, and there is also no licence that can make an STR legal in a zone that does not permit the use.
How does East Gwillimbury define a short term rental?
Zoning By-law 2018-043 defines short term rental accommodation as a dwelling unit or structure or any part of one that is offered as temporary lodging for any period less than thirty consecutive calendar days (Section 2.7 Definitions). The definition explicitly excludes hotels, motels, bed and breakfast establishments, tourist cabins and cottages, hospitals, and commercial resort units. So whole homes, single rooms, condos and suites are all captured when the stay is under 30 days.
Where exactly are short term rentals permitted in East Gwillimbury?
In the Mixed Use zones only: MU1, MU2, MU3, MU4, MU5, MU6 and MU7, per Table 6A of Zoning By-law 2018-043, subject to Site Plan approval. Parking of one space per bedroom is required under Table 5B, waived for units within apartment buildings or dwelling units in non-residential buildings. Mixed Use zones sit along the Town's corridors and centres, not in ordinary subdivisions.
Can I Airbnb my house in Holland Landing, Sharon, Queensville or Mount Albert?
If the property is in a residential zone (RPS, R1 through R6, ER or HR), no. Table 7A of the Zoning By-law does not list short term rental accommodation as a permitted use in any residential zone, and the by-law states that an unlisted use is not permitted. Rentals of 30 nights or more fall outside the by-law's STR definition and remain the legal income path in these communities.
Is there a principal residence requirement in East Gwillimbury?
Not for short term rental accommodation itself: the by-law regulates where the use can locate, not whether the operator lives there. The separate bed and breakfast establishment use is different: it must be within a single detached dwelling that is the proprietor's principal residence, with up to three guest rooms (Section 2.7 Definitions).
Can I run a bed and breakfast instead of an STR?
In some zones, yes, and it is a genuinely different use. The by-law defines a bed and breakfast establishment as sleeping accommodation for the travelling or vacationing public in up to three guest rooms within a single detached dwelling that is the proprietor's principal residence. It is explicitly excluded from the short term rental accommodation definition. Table 7A permits it in three of the nine residential zones and Table 11A permits it in the rural RU zone. Request a zoning certificate to confirm whether your specific zone is one of them.
What happens if I operate an STR in a zone that does not permit it?
Operating a use that is not permitted in your zone is a contravention of the Zoning By-law, enforceable by the Town's By-law Enforcement division. Penalty amounts are set by the Town and change over time, so contact By-law Enforcement at 905-478-4282 for current figures. There is no licence path to legalize the use; the only formal route would be a zoning amendment application, which is costly and rarely granted for STR use.
How do I check my East Gwillimbury property's zoning?
Contact the Planning Department at 905-478-4282 or planning@eastgwillimbury.ca, or request a zoning certificate, which documents your property's zoning designation and permitted uses in writing. The consolidated Zoning By-law 2018-043 text and zoning maps are posted on the Town's zoning page at eastgwillimbury.ca.
What are the legal alternatives if my zone does not permit an STR?
Two clean options. Mid-term furnished rentals of 30 nights or more fall entirely outside the by-law's short term rental definition, which only captures stays under thirty consecutive calendar days. Traditional long-term rentals under the Residential Tenancies Act are also permitted in any residential zone. Both avoid the zoning question completely, and demand for 30+ night furnished stays is strong from relocations, insurance placements and travelling professionals.
Unsure if your East Gwillimbury zone permits an Airbnb?
We can pull the zoning designation, review the permitted uses, and tell you whether STR or mid-term rental is the legal path for your specific address. Nurture manages both.
Get a Free Zoning CheckThis summary is for informational purposes only. Zoning By-law 2018-043 and permitted use tables change periodically. Always obtain a Zoning Certificate or written confirmation from the Town's Planning Department before operating. Contact East Gwillimbury at 905-478-4282 or planning@eastgwillimbury.ca. HST and federal tax rules also apply.