Councillor Diane Deans recently prompted a bylaw review, which council approved, in an effort to regulate Airbnb and other short-term rental businesses in Ottawa.

“We need some tools to address this,” Deans said, pointing out that the review is just the beginning of the process.

According to Deans, several residents in her ward are having problems with a certain unit, which is being advertised directly to sports teams. She claims that people who have rented the unit often throw cigarette butts and beer bottles into neighboring properties.

Other cities like Toronto and Vancouver have already implemented regulations that require home owners to register before renting out their properties. They have also limited the amount of days a unit can be rented out for.

“I think it’s one of these things that slips through a lot of loopholes,” said Christy Allen, an attorney with Davidson Houle Allen who supports regulation such services.

“Ottawa is becoming more and more urban. Especially with the number of units available, it’s not a bad idea to think about regulating it.”

Other councilors who applaud the idea of regulation include Coun. Rick Chiarelli, who says people don’t want to live in a “neighborhood of hotels.”