When an Old Airbnb Listing Triggers a $2,000 Fine: Inside Prince Edward County’s STA Enforcement Gap

The County’s short-term accommodation (STA) licensing regime was created to protect neighbourhoods, standardize safety, and ensure fairness in one of Ontario’s busiest tourism markets. 

But for some people, it has become a nightmare.

This is a recent case that happened in 2025 involving an inoperative Airbnb listing that has exposed serious gaps in that system and raised questions about how administrative penalties are issued, enforced and appealed.

The Hunter–Warr Case: A Fine That Shouldn’t Exist

In early June 2025, Knowlton Hunter and Jennifer Warrm, a Picton resident of nearly 30 years received a $2,000 by-law fine from the County Bylaw Department, alleging they had “advertised an STA without a license.” In reality, the couple had rented their property only once, back in 2018 and had long since canceled the listing as ‘it’s not their cup of tea’. The property was leased on a long-term basis for years prior to the ticket arriving. 

Simple right? Unfortunately, it didn’t end there. 

The by-law that governs STAs in The County, By-law 108-2021 and its amendments requires that properties used as short-term rentals be licensed and compliant with municipal standards. STAs include any dwelling or portion thereof rented for less than 30 days.

But in this couple’s case, the listing had been inactive for years and the property was not functioning as an STA when the ticket was issued. The couple insists they never received notice of their initial appeal hearing which was then dismissed in their absence, effectively treating a missed hearing date as an admission of guilt.

Appeals Gone Wrong

Hunter and Warr contacted the County’s by-law office to request a hearing. After being scheduled for a January 8 Zoom appeal, the hearing was abruptly cancelled without explanation. A confirmation from County spokesperson Mark Kerr indicated the current by-law offered no jurisdiction to revise or reconsider the penalty, even if it was clearly issued in error. 

This has left the couple with two options: pay the fine or pursue legal action at their own cost.

County Response and By-Law Updates

In response to this and other cases, the County’s Committee of the Whole reviewed possible improvements to the Administrative Monetary Penalty system late last year. Staff recommendations include:

✅Ensure notices are sent by both registered mail and email,

✅Appoint screening and hearing officers with discretion to address procedural errors,

✅Allow by-law directors to cancel penalty notices issued in error and set aside decisions in exceptional circumstances.

Great plan, but unfortunately these updates have not yet been adopted, and even if they are, they would not apply retroactively, meaning they won’t fix past cases like Hunter and Warr’s.

Key Takeaways for STA Owners in The County

The Hunter–Warr case exposes a risk for STA operators/owners and former operators alike: by-law enforcement relies heavily on online data scraping. 

In other words, listings do not need to be active, booked, or even intentionally visible to attract enforcement attention. 

To protect yourself, STA owners should take the following steps:

1. Ensure Active Listings Fully Match Your Licence

If you are currently operating an STA:

✅Confirm that your listing accurately reflects the licence type issued by the County (primary residence, secondary residence, or bed and breakfast).

✅Make sure your STA licence number is clearly displayed on every platform.

✅Ensure the address, number of bedrooms, and occupancy limits match County records

Small discrepancies are often treated the same as major violations. Intent doesn’t matter much once a notice is issued. 

2. Remove Inactive Listings Completely, Not Just “Deactivate” Them

If you are no longer operating an STA, or have converted the property to long-term rental or personal use:

✅Delete the listing entirely from the platform, do not rely on “snooze,” “pause,” or “inactive” settings.

✅Confirm the listing no longer appears in public searches, cached pages, or archived URLs. Search for possible websites and confirm your property isn’t listed, it’s better to take precautions.

✅Where possible, request confirmation from the platform that the listing has been fully removed from their system and data feeds.

Inactive doesn’t mean invincible. 

3. Document Everything

Maintain records showing:

✅When listings were removed or deleted,

✅Communications with platforms confirming removal,

✅Screenshots showing the listing no longer exist. 

✅Any correspondence with the County about the STA status.

This documentation may save you in the future if a penalty is issued in error.

4. Don’t Assume Common Sense Will Prevail

As this case demonstrates, current County by-laws offer little discretion once a penalty is issued, even when no rental activity occurred and no notice of appeal was received. Until by-law amendments are formally adopted, enforcement remains largely procedural rather than contextual.

That may change in the future but for now, it’s the reality for the couple. 

Looking Ahead

As the County revisits its administrative penalty and appeal procedures in February, this case could shape how local administrative justice evolves. 

Either way, the takeaway is clear: In The County, even an old, forgotten listing can carry a real financial consequence.

And until the rules catch up with reality, the safest assumption is this: if the internet remembers your property as an STA, the County just might too.