According to By-law 3-2024 every Boarding, Lodging, and Rooming House (BLRH) in the Town of Kingsville must be licensed to ensure existing and future BLRHs comply with the Town's Zoning By-law and to help mitigate any potential health and safety risks to occupants.

What is a BLRH?

A BLRH is defined as a dwelling unit where bedrooms are rented or provided to occupants, rather than the entire unit. Occupants of a BLRH share bathrooms and/or kitchen facilities, and may be unrelated. A BLRH is rented or provided to occupants on a long-term basis of 28 days or more.  For clarity, a BLRH includes housing that is controlled and provided by an employer of the residents living in the unit.

Per By-law 3-2024, there are two classes of BLRH:

• Residential BLRH which houses ten or fewer occupants on lands designated as residential in the Town of Kingsville's Zoning By-law
• Agricultural BLRH, which houses any number of occupants on land designated agricultural in the Town of Kingsville's Zoning By-law

Application Requirements

Please have the following information and supplementary documents ready before you submit your Application:

• Legal Business Name and Address
• Owner information
• A Criminal Record Check for the Owner dated within 30 days of the date of Application
• Address of each BLRH, subject to the Application
• On-site contact information for the person responsible for the BLRH
• Maximum number of occupants available for each BLRH
• Valid Health Unit Inspection Report for each BLRH Unit within the preceding 12 months 
  • If your BLRH has not been inspected in the preceding twelve (12) months, you can request an inspection by filling out WECHU's online form or by calling 519-258-2146.
• The licensing fee, as set in the Town's Fees and Charges By-law (payable online by credit card)

What Can I Expect Once I Apply?

Upon receipt of your Application, staff will confirm it's complete then circulate it to the following departments for review:

• Planning and Development Services confirms land-use compliance with the Town’s Zoning By-law
• Building and By-law Enforcement ensures that the building and/or property intended to be used as a BLRH is not subject to an open building permit and is not the subject of a Town By-law Order within the preceding 12 months
• Fire and Rescue Services confirms that the building intended to be used as a BLRH has been inspected within the preceding 12 months and is not subject to an order under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act.
  • If the BLRH has not had a fire inspection in the last 12 months, please contact Kingsville Fire at 519-733-2314 to schedule an inspection.

What Happens If My Application for a Licence is Not Approved?

If your Application is not yet approved, you will receive a letter outlining any deficiencies, corrective actions, and next steps.

How Long Does the Licensing Process Take?

As the Town works to streamline its BLRH application process, it is hard to predict how long the licensing process will take. Submitting a complete application and all supporting documents will help to prevent processing delays.

Questions?

Do you have questions or need help? Call us, or email licensing@kingsville.ca.