06/23/2023
After what I’ve recently heard this bears repeating, (previous post re edited.)
We often have people ask why we bother to licence our property through Tourism PEI. Because we love PEI! We want to assure our guests that Bluejay meets the strict standards set by the province. It costs to do this every year but we feel it's worth it. It means we have had our water checked, our house has a fire extinguisher that is checked and tagged EVERY YEAR, the levels of cleanliness are met and exceeded etc.etc It means our guests have peace of mind knowing they are getting what we advertise but it also means they have a third party platform if they wish to lay a complaint or have a concern. Our house is inspected yearly and we stand 100% behind our property as does the province. This is not done by advertising platforms such as AirBnB or VRBO etc. Only the province can licence a property on Prince Edward Island. Of course licensed owners can and do advertise on these platforms and are proud to include that they are licensed accommodations.
As a prospective renter I highly suggest you do your due diligence prior to renting a cottage on PEI.
Ask questions before booking: Are you licensed? Has your water been tested? How long ago? Are you insured? Fire alarms working?
If they can’t answer the first question, move on.
Most advertising platforms do not require a cottage to show a license number but those of us that are licensed have no issue with showing it, we are proud to do so.
When searching cottage properties on PEI and the ad does not reference a license #, it’s easy to check if it is licensed ( see the link below) Believe me you are not getting a bargain if you rent an unlicensed cottage. Who wants to take a chance on bad water or an unsafe environment?
Tourism is a huge industry on PEI and provides employment and income to Islanders. It’s always been our aim to provide the best experience we can for our guests. Word of mouth keeps tourists coming back but all it takes is a few people returning home with tales of a bad holiday due to a property that did not meet their expectations to make other travellers reconsider PEI as a destination. We all lose then.
If you are planning a PEI vacation it's easy to find out if a property is licensed just go to: https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/information/economic-development-and-tourism/licensed-tourism-accommodations
You will find a listing of all licensed properties.
Support licensed accommodation on PEI.
Tourism PEI is responsible to license all tourism establishments (accommodations), including fixed roof and campgrounds, as outlined in the Tourism Industry Act and regulations.
